[ Suffice it to say she puzzles over the gift for a day or two, wondering what it means. What kind of message he's trying to communicate here. Whatever it is, Prudence finds it utterly unfathomable.
She astral projects before him -- wherever he may be -- holding the t-shirt out like one might hold a feral animal, far away from themselves. ]
What the heaven is this, Crowley? [ She points to the logo, demanding answers. ] Some sort of secret society?
[She really ought to call before she astral projects, but fortunately for both of them he's up on the terrace roof, in the process of repotting one the plants Martin left behind. He looks up at the sound of her voice, brushing soil off his hands.]
It's from a zoo, you know, with all the animals? S'called a souvenir, it's meant to be tacky.
[Crowley knows that witches live a somewhat sequestered existence, he understands that they're a secret from the rest of humanity, but this is the first time it's clicked just how shut off they were.]
Well, they're a bit of fun, is all. You get to see animals you don't usually see, like polar bears, and gorillas and tigers. Pretty tropical snakes from far off countries. [He liked the snakes.] That sort of thing. The one here isn't as good as some back home, but I'd take you if you ever wanted to go.
[ Polar bears. Gorillas. Tigers. Prudence knows all of them and more from books and lore and legend, but what she's seen in person has been pretty much limited to Greendale's natural wildlife and the -- admittedly somewhat versatile -- array of familiars the witches in her coven may have.
Sometime in her near future back home she'll be traveling the world, but for now, her world has always been just her coven, just her sisters and the walls and forest they grew up inside.
[Despite any attempts at an aura of being too cool for emotions, Crowley grins at the acceptance of the offer, looking utterly delighted.
He's too soft for his own good.]
S'a good way to spend a day, they have over-priced, sugary food if you're into that sort of thing, and if you play your cards right, I'll turn into a dragon again and scare a bunch of children.
[He wonders if she's ever had candy floss and decides that if not, he'll definitely have to introduce her to the concept. It's the sort of obnoxious food that he'll sometimes eat, even if it's horribly sweet.]
Unfortunately it's a no on any deaths, the authorities get a bit fussy about that sort of thing, and I'd rather not spend any time in the other zoo, you know?
I suppose there is. As long as nothing there will poison me.
[ She'll trust his judgement unless he tries to steer her towards something particularly suspect-looking. But Prudence can otherwise keep an open mind. ]
The sex zoo? Why? [ She frowns a bit. ] Too many mortals?
[Now that they've reached this agreement, Crowley decides he can return his attention to the task he was in the middle of beforehand. He pours some soil into the larger pot, glancing up with a shrug at the question.]
Suppose, yeah. Just figure that's what they do to people who commit a bunch of crime. Murder's usually considered inappropriate.
Barely. [ Her hand waves dismissively. ] Foal's tongues and beetle legs, but hardly anyone uses those in their cooking these days anyway.
[ She laughs, like, can you even imagine? ]
Maybe you're right. Though I still think something like a dungeon would be more suitable. Torture and so on, you know. Mortal sex may be quick and unpleasant, but there are enough deviants who do enjoy it.
The stuff I'm used to has never been particularly creative. Suppose mortals are more concerned about pain.
[Pain is just a thing that happens. Unpleasant but unavoidable, and God taught him how to handle it a long time ago. The things that happen here hurt in different way, but maybe it's best not to dwell.
He shrugs the mood off like a shed skin, grinning when he looks back up at her.]
Giving people a good scare is more fun than just eating them, anyway. We'll have a blast, and if it's rubbish, I'll let you pick the next outing we go on.
[ Prudence considers herself immune to pain, personally. She's dedicated to armoring herself against it until nothing can get through, and for the most part--
For the most part, even when it does get through, she feels numb enough to still tell herself it hasn't, and never will. Not physical pain, but real pain.
If this place is capable of hurting her in those ways, she has yet to see it. Or feel it. ]
I do enjoy a good scare as much as any demon might, but it's all just fun and games if no one's getting hurt. Will that really be enough for you?
[It's for the best, that she hasn't discovered the way this place can hurt.]
I realise this might come as a bit of a shock... [He trails off briefly, distracted by the plant in front of him, snapping off a sad looking leaf before he returns his attention to Prudence to finish his train of thought.] But I'm not actually much for hurting people. Always felt too much like giving the Almighty what She wants.
[She might've made him a monster, that doesn't mean he has to be monstrous.]
It doesn't. [ Not a shock, but perhaps a disappointment. ] But you give the False God far too much credit.
[ As if anything demons or the damned is blessed or approved by the False God; Prudence considers that a blasphemy, but she likes Crowley enough to forgive it this time.
(Maybe not next time, but obviously that's a bridge to cross if or when they get there.) ]
Luckily I do still enjoy a good afternoon filled with chaos, so I'm sure we'll manage.
[It would've been easy to be vicious and cruel like the other demons, to be the enemy that angels and God wanted them to all be. It's taken more work to remember how to love, even after She tore it out of him.]
If you ever run into some Nazis around here, you can give me a call and we'll make a day of doing properly awful things.
[Nazis don't count as people.
He could equally say "SIN Guards" but that has the potential to backfire.]
[Crowley makes an amused sound, apparently having decided he's satisfied with the plant in its new pot, since he rises to his feet and brushes his hands off on his jeans.]
Bit like the theatre that way, I suppose. No harm in going alone, but it's more fun if you've got someone to talk to during the intermission.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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She astral projects before him -- wherever he may be -- holding the t-shirt out like one might hold a feral animal, far away from themselves. ]
What the heaven is this, Crowley? [ She points to the logo, demanding answers. ] Some sort of secret society?
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It's from a zoo, you know, with all the animals? S'called a souvenir, it's meant to be tacky.
[That's his excuse, at least.]
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Well, one of a few ways, all of them about equally ridiculous.
She considers the shirt again, squinting dubiously. ]
A zoo for animals? Exactly what would be the point of that?
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[Zoos have existed for so long, even if they're not at all like they used to be, so he's genuinely caught off guard for a second.]
Have you not been to a zoo before?
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[ She crosses her arms, head shaking like she's explaining something obvious-- or still not quite grasping his meaning. Perhaps both. ]
I've spent my entire life within the walls of my Academy and the woods surrounding it. [ Well, and now here. ] That is my home.
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Well, they're a bit of fun, is all. You get to see animals you don't usually see, like polar bears, and gorillas and tigers. Pretty tropical snakes from far off countries. [He liked the snakes.] That sort of thing. The one here isn't as good as some back home, but I'd take you if you ever wanted to go.
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Sometime in her near future back home she'll be traveling the world, but for now, her world has always been just her coven, just her sisters and the walls and forest they grew up inside.
She appears to consider this, but only briefly. ]
All right, then. Yes. I would like to see it.
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He's too soft for his own good.]
S'a good way to spend a day, they have over-priced, sugary food if you're into that sort of thing, and if you play your cards right, I'll turn into a dragon again and scare a bunch of children.
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I wouldn't know.
[ She knows Nick likes mortal food, but Prudence hasn't had much of it. ]
But I have always wanted to see a real life dragon rampage in person. Will you be killing anyone?
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[He wonders if she's ever had candy floss and decides that if not, he'll definitely have to introduce her to the concept. It's the sort of obnoxious food that he'll sometimes eat, even if it's horribly sweet.]
Unfortunately it's a no on any deaths, the authorities get a bit fussy about that sort of thing, and I'd rather not spend any time in the other zoo, you know?
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[ She'll trust his judgement unless he tries to steer her towards something particularly suspect-looking. But Prudence can otherwise keep an open mind. ]
The sex zoo? Why? [ She frowns a bit. ] Too many mortals?
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[Now that they've reached this agreement, Crowley decides he can return his attention to the task he was in the middle of beforehand. He pours some soil into the larger pot, glancing up with a shrug at the question.]
Suppose, yeah. Just figure that's what they do to people who commit a bunch of crime. Murder's usually considered inappropriate.
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[ She laughs, like, can you even imagine? ]
Maybe you're right. Though I still think something like a dungeon would be more suitable. Torture and so on, you know. Mortal sex may be quick and unpleasant, but there are enough deviants who do enjoy it.
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[Apparently Nick wasn't joking about witches eating weird things?
He looks away at what she says next, busying himself with lifting the plant free, bracing it carefully before transferring it to the new pot.]
Torture's just torture. Would rather that than other things they can do.
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[ Even witches, to... an extent, but of course, it's generally assumed as Satanists they won't be made to suffer in hell the way others do.
Not that Prudence is quite so certain of that anymore. ]
But fine. If you insist on no bloodshed then the rest had better make up for it.
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[Pain is just a thing that happens. Unpleasant but unavoidable, and God taught him how to handle it a long time ago. The things that happen here hurt in different way, but maybe it's best not to dwell.
He shrugs the mood off like a shed skin, grinning when he looks back up at her.]
Giving people a good scare is more fun than just eating them, anyway. We'll have a blast, and if it's rubbish, I'll let you pick the next outing we go on.
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For the most part, even when it does get through, she feels numb enough to still tell herself it hasn't, and never will. Not physical pain, but real pain.
If this place is capable of hurting her in those ways, she has yet to see it. Or feel it. ]
I do enjoy a good scare as much as any demon might, but it's all just fun and games if no one's getting hurt. Will that really be enough for you?
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I realise this might come as a bit of a shock... [He trails off briefly, distracted by the plant in front of him, snapping off a sad looking leaf before he returns his attention to Prudence to finish his train of thought.] But I'm not actually much for hurting people. Always felt too much like giving the Almighty what She wants.
[She might've made him a monster, that doesn't mean he has to be monstrous.]
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[ As if anything demons or the damned is blessed or approved by the False God; Prudence considers that a blasphemy, but she likes Crowley enough to forgive it this time.
(Maybe not next time, but obviously that's a bridge to cross if or when they get there.) ]
Luckily I do still enjoy a good afternoon filled with chaos, so I'm sure we'll manage.
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Let me have my spite.
[It would've been easy to be vicious and cruel like the other demons, to be the enemy that angels and God wanted them to all be. It's taken more work to remember how to love, even after She tore it out of him.]
If you ever run into some Nazis around here, you can give me a call and we'll make a day of doing properly awful things.
[Nazis don't count as people.
He could equally say "SIN Guards" but that has the potential to backfire.]
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[ Prudence accepts the silent challenge, feeling certain there are probably other ways to persuade him, too... but that's a matter for another time. ]
Not that I actually need your help, but tormenting mortals is always so much more enjoyable with some company.
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Bit like the theatre that way, I suppose. No harm in going alone, but it's more fun if you've got someone to talk to during the intermission.