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

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!"

[serpentinthegarden]

Crowley's mouth dropped open as he stumbled over his words, starting and ending sentences several times in his abject surprise.

"I... wah, she... If she has a bad word said against her it's not going to be MY fault. I gave her plenty of opportunity to put that candy back. SHE'S the one that thought it was a good idea to knock over a jawbreaker display and run for it!"