Drink Count: 11 || "Take Me In, Tender Woman," Sighed the Snake

[eyesofaserpent]

A. [Action: 915 Bilko Boulevard, morning]

[Oh look, there's a package on the porch for Crowley. Well, to be honest, Crowley picks it up with a glitter on the lenses of his sunglasses. So far, Mayfield's gifts to him have been good, so he really has no reason to be wary of this box. He takes it to the kitchen to open it and... He feels a rush of energy that tingles on his skin and knowledge dropped into his mind about what he has just regained: his ability to change his shape.

So, just to test it out, he suddenly takes the form of a snake and flicks his forked tongue in amusement. In fact to any of the residents of 915 Bilko were to walk into the kitchen, they would see a snake that gives the impression of being mighty proud of himself.]

Hallo.

[Oh yeah, this snake can talk.]


B. [Action: About town, afternoon]

[Crowley's trying out a different shape. He's slinking around town as a woman with raven black hair, cherry red lips, and shades. He's wearing a slinky, low-cut, white with black polka dotted pencil skirt dress and black snakeskin Louboutin stilettos. He looks like every teenage boy's wet dream: the quintessential pinup girl.

Crowley still seems rather pleased with himself, parading around town like this. Go ahead. Approach him. He won't bite. Not even you, Loki.]


C. [Action: Olney's Tavern, evening]

[Well, he's not behind the bar. He isn't allowed behind the bar tonight because he's a woman. In fact, he keeps getting disapproving looks from the patrons of the tavern.

Crowley found out he was stuck a couple hours back. It was like he forgot his favorite shape. Really, it is just a set back, though a very frustrating one. Clearly, it's been too long since he changed his shape.

He drummed his perfectly painted red fingernails on the counter before taking a sip of her Apple Crisp.]

Bollocks... I really buggered this up, didn't I?


((ooc: To anyone selecting B or C, I will be responding with eyesofafemsnake so I can use the pretty icons.))

Comments

[watchedher.livejournal.com]

Wings? I see, that's very interesting -- feathered, like a bird's?

[ You can practically see the gears turning in his head, running through names and descriptions in half a dozen different languages. The list is possibly alphabetized.

Crowley help he's pining for his books again. ]

[eyesofafemsnake.livejournal.com]

[He nods, a curl bouncing as he does so.]

White.

[He watches Giles, an amused smirk camping on her face.]

Are you trying to figure out what kind of demon I am?

[watchedher.livejournal.com]

[ His smile is faintly apologetic, tinged with confusion, and for the first time in several weeks, very close to genuine. ]

I'm somewhat of a specialist in demonology, back home, and matters of the occult. I know of several shape-shifting demons, and any number of winged ones, but few with both qualities. None of them known for pleasant company or their taste in Scotch.

[eyesofafemsnake.livejournal.com]

Well, back where I'm from, there's really only one kind of demon. Which is the fallen angel variety. Though I probably am the most personable one of the bunch. I've been up here since Eden, so I know the ropes. And I don't really think of humans as hapless creatures waiting to be lured into sin as I do interesting buggers that are far more creative that I ever will be.

[He twirls a curl around his finger and sips his cocktail.]

[watchedher.livejournal.com]

[ There was a time when Giles was a good Christian boy who believed in a single God, in angels who were good and demons who were bad and a definite line between the sides.

It was a very long time ago.

That was when there was only one kind of demon and one kind of Hell, as opposed to infinite worlds of demons pressing in on all sides. Supposedly, there are infinite heavenly dimensions as well-- but in the thirty-odd years since things were simple, his life has revolved around Hells and demons, without ever a glimpse of angels.

Giles goes quiet and very, very thoughtful. ]

I... see. Not anything I've dealt with before, then.

[eyesofafemsnake.livejournal.com]

No fallen angels in your world?

[He grins a serpentine smile.]

No serpents of Eden?

[watchedher.livejournal.com]

[ Cautiously: ]

None that I've encountered. Not that there isn't lore -- just that it has a strong tendency to, to... the details don't always hold up.

[eyesofafemsnake.livejournal.com]

Well, tell me what you know about the Serpent of Eden.

[Crowley leans forward, entirely unaware of what that might do for his cleavage.]

[watchedher.livejournal.com]

[ Thank you Crowley that is ungodly distracting-- which is, given the circumstances, rather distressing and not even intended as a pun. Giles catches himself nearly reciting word-for-word things learned or read years ago, and bites off each attempt in turn. After a good few seconds of floundering and determinedly not looking at her breasts: ]

I, I, that is, it's been quite a while since I read anything relevant.

[ He wishes, suddenly and very strongly, that he were quite a bit less sober for this. ]

[eyesofafemsnake.livejournal.com]

No really... I'd like to hear about your world's version of it.

[watchedher.livejournal.com]

Um, well, the serpent was responsible for tempting Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which God had forbidden. The serpent told her that it would bring wisdom, or let her be more like God, but it resulted in... the loss of innocence. Adam and Eve were banished from the garden, cursed with a life of hard labor and pain during childbirth, respectively.

The snake was made to crawl on its belly and, and forever be an enemy of mankind. The details and interpretations vary, of course.

[eyesofafemsnake.livejournal.com]

That's not exactly how it went. See, I was just doing my job. They told me to "get up there and make some trouble". And it wasn't exactly rocket science, tempting. She already wanted to eat the fruit. All I really had to do was put an apple in her hand and say "It's sweet, you'll like it."

I still say His reaction was right over the top. Kicking them out for knowing right from wrong. Bollocks, I say.

[watchedher.livejournal.com]

... Crowley, if you caused the Fall of Man, I feel as though I ought to have some moral objections to our having drinks together.

[eyesofafemsnake.livejournal.com]

Hey, a job's a job. And Aziraphale was the one to give them a bloody flaming sword. I remember saying to him after they'd been kicked out of Eden that I wasn't entirely convinced that what i did was the wrong thing and what he did was the right thing.

Still kind of makes me uncomfortable to think about.

[watchedher.livejournal.com]

[ Weakly: ]

This being the Aziraphale you said I reminded you of? When I was, er, prattling on about books?

[eyesofafemsnake.livejournal.com]

Same one. At the time he was the Cherubim guarding the Eastern Gate. We both rather stayed on Earth after that.

[watchedher.livejournal.com]

[ To give himself some time to process all of this and file it away properly, and also possibly just so he doesn't have to look at Crowley's boobs, Giles begins polishing his glasses on the hem of his shirt. ]

I hadn't imagined angels and demons would get on very well.

[eyesofafemsnake.livejournal.com]

Well, we didn't at first. Not for a long time. After about 5,000 years we came to an Arrangement, though. And I suppose now that we both worked to avert the apocalypse, I can admit that he's kind of a friend, despite being the enemy. I don't think there are any others that are like that... Granted, it's not something you really talk about.

[watchedher.livejournal.com]

Um, right.

[ Reluctantly, he puts the glasses back on. When they met, Crowley had insisted he'd meant no harm, and-- truth be told, Giles had thought he seemed a perfectly nice fellow. Still thinks he seems a perfectly nice fellow, come to that, despite...

Well, he's another world's demon, another world's serpent. He does not seem overtly evil, and it's not as though Giles could do much if he was.

But: ]

I do hesitate to ask, but is that you're in this form-- tempting people?

[eyesofafemsnake.livejournal.com]

Not really so much anymore. Ever since the apocalypse didn't happen, I've been fresh out of a job. It's difficult to stop cold turkey. But I've managed well enough.

Here in Mayfield I may cause a small amount of mischief, but I blame that on whoever had the brilliant idea of trapping me in this town with Loki and without Aziraphale.

[watchedher.livejournal.com]

Ah. Then you, ah, may want to watch your posture, that angle and that dress are not compatible.

[ Which translates to Crowley you are this close to flashing him, said in the most prim and gentlemanly tone he can manage. ]

[eyesofafemsnake.livejournal.com]

Oh? [He looks down at his cleavage and snorts.]

What? Worried I might seduce you, Rupert?

[He leans back in the chair, sipping his cocktail.]

[watchedher.livejournal.com]

I would at least hope you'd do it over better whisky.

[ He flicks his empty glass a brief, longing look. ]

[eyesofafemsnake.livejournal.com]

[He laughs and gets up, setting his own glass on the table.] Oh, all right, I'll go grab the good stuff.

[He doesn't yet have his ability to travel unnoticed, but he does manage to slip behind the bar unnoticed and duck down. After about 30 seconds he pops back up and back over to Giles's table with a dusty old bottle of scotch.]

I hope this will suffice.

[He goes about picking a cobweb out of his hair, though there's another he doesn't notice near his shades.]

[watchedher.livejournal.com]

[ Giles almost calls him back at the automatic flash of guilt to be inconveniencing a lady, before realizing how utterly ridiculous that is. He simply smiles his relief as Crowley returns. ]

Thank you.