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

[mal_contented]

"Fire can be a fun one," she said, with a grin. "And if you're that sure you're not getting paid anyway, pretty sure you know where the till is." There, helpful.

[serpentinthegarden]

"You missed the part about my 'trying to be good'."

Bit of a shrug, "At least temporarily. Besides petty larceny like that would get me about a hundred dollars... not worth it really. Couldn't even buy a decent jacket with that and it's not half as much as I could make if I managed to last the whole week. So, come clean or I will have to do something I really... really, don't want to do."

[mal_contented]

She hopped off the counter. "Well you could TRY to do something you really really don't want to do, but is it really worth the risk? Just over charge a few of the annoying ones to make up whatever you think you're missing. A few dollars here and there, at the amount they're buying, no one will ever notice."

[serpentinthegarden]

"The only one at risk is you. What are you going to do, manicure me into submission?"

[mal_contented]

She threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, that's cute," she said when the laughter died. "Underestimating me. Well you just have fun with that." She patted his cheek lightly, then spun on her heel. "I'll work on ideas for if you ever bother to come in," she tossed over her shoulder, heading for the door.

[serpentinthegarden]

He had meant the girl was at risk from her own actions not necessarily from him however there was something to that since it now fell to him to decide what to do about her. Should he let her go or speak up and turn her in?

Since he had arrived in the Kingdom he had been reexamining his own nature, was he pure evil or were there layers. Was a demon allowed to chose to be good sometimes? Should he even if the thought sent his skin crawling? This situation with Mal was a test of all that and he hated it.

Crowley growled low in his throat, a sound which grew in volume as he practically barked at the ceiling.

"Rrrah! You're really going to make me do this?!"

Shouted at the girl's back as that had been he couldn't really see her face but she wasn't given much time to react really as Crowley then snapped his fingers to gain the attention of his new employer.

"Oi, Chef! Got a shoplifter here!"

The chocolatier might have been an older man but didn't he move quickly when there was a thief in their midst? The Chef rushed out and made an attempt to grab Mal's arm as you do when making a 'citizen's arrest.'

Let me know if any of this needs editing.

[mal_contented]

Oh the look on her face as she spun to face them both wasn't horror or shock, but a sort of smirking grin that seemed to promise revenge. And that she seemed to be promising to enjoy that revenge when it came. She ducked under the old man's grasp easily and spun in place, one hand coming up to knock open a display of gumballs. Or maybe they were mini jawbreakers. She kind of hoped the second, because that would be funnier, but didn't stop to look as she dashed ahead of the small slippery candies now coating the floor.

There was a back entry she had spotted that led to another shop, small narrow hall, but harder to circle her from, since someone would have to go out and around to do it. So she headed that way, ducking behind a display just long enough tp empty her the candy pockets into the bottom of a bin, so that if she was caught there wouldn't be so much as a wrapper for evidence on her person. Then she darted into the haberdashery, and then strode at a swift but less suspicious pace from the haberdashery to the customization area, and then out that exit, walking with her hands in her pockets, cool as you please, fingers wrapped loosely around her cellphone. She made her way casually back down Main Street as if she hadn't a care in the world, though she kept watch on the candy store out of the corner of her eye as she passed....

Ditto ^,^

[serpentinthegarden]

The older man slipped on the bouncing candy jawbreakers as they spread out to cover the floor and wonder of wonders, Crowley found himself performing his second good deed of the day. The demon reached out to catch the man's arm before he tumbled back into the glass display case and cracked his head. Could have been nasty, an older gentleman like him taking a fall like that. Though he surprised himself at how easily it had come to him to save the man. He was grateful for the job of course, it seemed to be one of the few he hadn't managed to screw up right away... but really, two good deeds in a day? Wasn't there a limit to those?

No one chased after Mal when she made her escape as the round candies proved a effective 'Home Alone' style escape method but the Chef did have it in mind to call the guards about her.

That works. Let me know if I need to edit this last bit.

[mal_contented]

She seemed to have gotten away with it. Oh, someone would probably tell Merlin and she'd hear about it later, but she was pretty sure she could handle that. She caught the salesman's eye as she passed the front door and tossed him a smirk and a wink as she kept walking. She'll deal with him at some point. And that she knew she could handle.....

(Up to you if you want to jump to "later" or end it here for now.)

Seems fine to me. ^^

[serpentinthegarden]

A smirk and a wink that only received a snarl in return as he was a little too busy cleaning up some one's mess.

Later in the day however he treated himself to an ice cream from the local vendor. Strawberry Swirl, which wouldn't have been his first choice but they were out of Ooey Gooey Buttercake Ice Cream. Crowley lounged on one of the benches near the central plaza and watched the people milling about to get their last minute shopping done before the Emporium close for the day. Mal's distinctive hair color stood out from the crowd.

"Hey, shoplift girl!"

She had earned a new nickname.

"Was it worth it?"

ty. Once again, let me know if I need to edit anything.

[mal_contented]

"Now you and I both know I didn't leave that shop with a single thing that didn't come in with me. Well, other than a taste for vengeance." She stalked over. "And sugar." To that end she swiped her finger through his ice cream and popped it in her mouth. "Get fired for accusing a clearly innocent girl and messing up the shop, did you?"

^^

[serpentinthegarden]

"You aren't as slick as you think you are."

Crowley sulked at his ice cream but didn't allow a little finger trail to prevent him from eating it.

"He believed me... kind of hard not to given the destructive way you left the shop. Innocent people don't go around smashing up displays."

His ice cream was given a lick as he smirked in her direction.

"Shouldn't come as a surprise to you to learn you are banned from entering that store again. I'm to keep you out if you should try."

Not quite how we pictured this going, but interesting so far!!

[mal_contented]

She laughed. "Like you could." She helped herself to another finger full of his ice cream. "Might just be fun to see you try, even."

Made him do two good deeds in a day! <<;

[serpentinthegarden]

His ice cream had been violated for a second time. He stared at the cone and then at the girl who was just not getting it.

"I have dealt with spoiled brats before... Ever heard the phrase spare the rod, spoil the child?"

If not she was about to get a lesson in that as he took his ice cream and upended it on her head. Sprinkles, strawberry cream, and cone combined to make one bratty girl one very fetching, if cold and messy, new hat.
Crowley managed to stand in that same moment, laughing as he flexed his wings and moved away before he could get any of that mess on himself.

"Had your fill of sugar yet?"

ROFL. HE is supposed to be influencing HER not the other way around.

[mal_contented]

She smirked and pointed at the mess on her head. She'd pay for this later, she knew, but it was going to be worth it. "Beware, forswear, replenish this ice cream from out of my hair." She held one hand out and the other gestured between her hair and the open hand and...

Okay, so the ice cream was now in a bowl. Which was purple. And there was a good deal more of it than there had been. But she smirked, trying to ignore the feeling that something was sneaking up behind her as she lifted a very purple spoon and took a bite.

It tasted like hair and sand. But she smiled anyway like it was the tastiest treat ever. "Thanks for the snack." Now she just needed to go sit down for a while....

It's coming out backwards!

[serpentinthegarden]

"Am I meant to be impressed by that little parlor trick?"

He watched her with those calculating yellow eyes of his, hidden behind the shades though they were.

"You managed to steal candy from an old man, which is only slightly one step above stealing from a baby, and you think you are some kind of bad ass?"

His smile never faltered as he shook his head and laughed again.

"You're a kid! You've never done anything worse than pick a few pockets or write a rude word on a building... And you're screwing yourself up here for no reason, at all. You know sometimes its smarter to play the game to find out where you stand before pissing everyone off."

And she made his angel almost rude.

[mal_contented]

"Or stood against the single most evil being in existence and backed her off. Ruined lives even before I had access to magic. Very nearly had control of the United Kingdoms of Auradon before arriving here." Okay that last one was a stretch, but she didn't show it. But sure, pretend you know me. And while you're pretending..." She flung the ice cream at his face, murmuring a quick spell to help it flu true. She wavered, but the ice cream should be in his line of sight at that point....

Az does that some times.

[serpentinthegarden]

He had given her good advice.... or good bad advice, it was a little difficult to know where the line was these days. It wasn't taken though. Instead he found himself with a face full of horrible tasting ice cream.

Crowley's fingers came together in a resounding snap that should have made the ice cream that covered his face and splattered over his wings turn into harmless air, instead it turned into sand. It still dropped away from him leaving him clean again but... it was SO depressing when it misfired like that. It helped to turn his mood sour.

"Maybe at home you are Ms. Thing but here you are NOTHING."

His temper lit a few sparks in the air which flashed to life but didn't catch anything on fire... yet.

"That old man isn't 'the most evil being in existence' and he didn't deserve your shit! And you are NOT winning any brownie points with me by boasting about all your GRAND accomplishments. Here you are just a brat who stole some candy... and I'm telling you to BACK OFF!"

The sparks burst into little flames around him but still hung in the safely in the air as the words back off echoed off the buildings around them. And he really did hope she took his advice this time before he did light something on fire, quite possibly Mal... Crowley had never used this particular spell before and who knew how well he might would be able to control it.

[mal_contented]

"Right, like I meant him." Rather than the mother she could almost feel watching her from the shadows. She fought the urge to hunch in on herself. That only ever made things worse anyway. Minions were supposed to cower. The masses were supposed to cower. The heir of evil was supposed to strut. She locked eyes with him, aware this was the usual dominance play between her and her mother, the move she'd only ever won once. But as her eyes flashed green she clenched her fists, determined NOT to be the one who looked away first.

[serpentinthegarden]

"Do I care about what you did at home, NO, I only care about what you have done HERE and here you have been nothing but a giant pain in the ass!"

The flames sparkled and flared as he spoke, not growing towards her but not fading from existence either. The heat from them permeated the air, warming it gradually to uncomfortably hot levels given that it was already warm enough in summer but he didn't seem to notice.

If this were to become a staring contest Crowley had the distinct advantage... part of his nature as a snake inspired demon made it so he physically never had to blink. His gold eyes stared directly at hers, unblinking through his trademark shades. The light show in her eyes was interesting but really not the point he was trying to get across. For him this was less about who was stronger and more about who was... ugh, right.

"Did you decide to help these people or what? Maybe you want to become their 'evil being'?"

[mal_contented]

She kept her eyes locked on him, focusing, straining, refusing to back down. "Why should I tell you what I decided. Those who need to know, do," she snarled, not looking away.

Snake, meet Dragon.

[strangeandunusual]

Speaking of those who needed to know. Lydia had seen Crowley's earlier announcement and resolved to treat herself to something on her lunch break. She'd even thought she'd bring something back for Mal, maybe help sweeten what had mostly been a really rough experience for her new friend so far. Her eyes widened in surprise as she rounded a street corner to see the two she'd been thinking of locked in a staring contest, surrounded by flaming Sparks.

Lydia thought fast. She'd defused her share of fights before her mother had finally left, and while this was different, there still had to be something she could do. Curling her fingers around her choker, she silently summoned a few Affinity Beetles to check the shop for any hints of Corrosion.

"Hey," she said blandly to Crowley. "I don't know you much yet, but I know Mal. She's smart. And I bet you are, too. The new moon is over. So why are you both being stupid?"

[mal_contented]

She growled at Lydia, but it was a weak thing, her eyes still locked with Crowley's as if the glasses weren't there. Part of her wanted to just go back to the room with Lydia, but that part was small and weak and she did her best to tell it to shut up.

[serpentinthegarden]

"Smart? Oh yeah... real smart making an enemy out of me and every business owner on the block..."

He might have been exaggerating just a wee bit, but Chef from the Candy Store was bound to tell the guards and warn the other shopkeepers. That was just the sort of thing that happened in a small town. Hell, it had happened in Soho and that wasn't exactly a small place.

Crowley too didn't bother to move from where he stood ad he was far, far too angry to be able to reign in those sparks of fire just yet.

[strangeandunusual]

When Mal growled, Lydia made a good guess as to what was going on. She marched up to Crowley,taking a burst of sudden inspiration from how she'd seen Barbara straight up tame a sandworm and ride it bareback.

"Look, you're a monster, right? I saw you practicing with the others. Did you ever think maybe she wasn't trying to make an enemy? And besides, if you put a bad word in against her, what's it going to make them think about the rest of us? I don't know what's going on, but we should all be looking out for each other. This isn't the kind of fighting Dreamfinder wants us to practice!"