Cheeky piece

[serpentinthegarden]

[ Its a video call of one Anthony J. Crowley stepping out of a posh building eating a vanilla and chocolate swirled cone. ]

When you think about it sixty-five million isn't really so much to ask for a place like this in the middle of New York. Especially with all those terraces. Parking space for two cars. Concierge. More bedroom space than I'll ever need. And... ha! This might be the best part!

[ He laughed and attached a quick image to the post. ]

They don't want to take that painting with them so it would come with the place! You're an art restorer, what do you think of it, Mr. Fell? Cheeky piece. It's a bit like that play we saw last week, the one where you got all annoyed with me for magically upgrading our seats. I didn't hear you complaining when we ended up with that private box though did I?

[ He paused for a thoughtful lick of chocolate before it ran down the cone. ]

I never even dreamed of owning a place like this one before so of course I signed. What is the point of magic if you can't indulge?

Comments

[serpentinthegarden]

It would have to be a new city block the way they are going at it.

[ Anthony smirked, retrieved the pillow, and wandered back over to perch on the arm of the sofa again like some big dark vulture looming over Alec. ]

So... How have you been doing?

[scotch_egg]

Awful. [he closed his eyes] Bad dreams, nightmares, memory, boredom. You name it. I'm half tempted to go through the bloody portal just for a change of pace.

[serpentinthegarden]

You could. Its a whole new world over there. Not sure it would help with the nightmares or the memories...

[ His voice softened like an angel, betraying all those demon traits of his with unfettered compassion. ]

What have the memories been like?

[scotch_egg]

Stop looming over me like a bloody vulture. [he shifted to tug Anthony down on the couch, stole his glasses just for the hell of it and flapped the pillow against his face]

Not much different from the last one. Dead kid. Sand. Water. Waiting for the police with a feeling of dread. [a dry chuckle] Maybe I'm the demon. [it was starting to feel like it]

[serpentinthegarden]

Oi!

[ Anthony practically squeaked as he was dragged off the arm of and thwaped with the pillow. He thought to take his vengeance right then, to take up the pillow and give Alec such a wallop his head would spin... but it seemed the dreams had beat him to it. ]

You're serious? Shit...

[ Long thoughtful pause in which the floor suddenly became very interesting to look at. ]

There has to be more to it than that? Why would you even be there...

[scotch_egg]

Yeah... [he leaned back and sighed] I've no idea. They don't have to make any sense, do they?

But I felt...resigned. Isn't that terrible?

[serpentinthegarden]

I'd like for it to make sense. I'd like for any of this to make any bloody sense!

[ Because the worst case scenario running through his head right now was that they were a family of child murderers. Hid demon side had been trying to tempt Fell into killing a kid and now Alec, with two dead children... ]

Resigned - guilty, the cops are on their way and there is nothing you can do about it or reigned - sad, I can't believe there is a dead child here?

[scotch_egg]

[he thought about it. He wanted to give Anthony a good answer, one that would calm the tension. But there was no good answer to give]

I just felt... that this was penance. That I had to...to do something... before I ran out of time.

[serpentinthegarden]

[ It was not a happy answer. ]

Penance for what... You've never done anything that deserved that.

[scotch_egg]

[a sigh]

I don't know that, do I...

[serpentinthegarden]

Fine, I know that! You're a jerk some times but you never would do anything deserving of a lifetime of penitence.

[ He wouldn't hear otherwise. ]

[scotch_egg]

[a faint dry laugh]

You wouldn't even believe me when I said you weren't a demon. It's who you are...

[serpentinthegarden]

Those two things aren't connected at all. I know I'm a demon... its one of the only things I do remember about what came before all this. You aren't. You aren't the type! You are too rules oriented, too grounded...

[ You are definitely not a child serial killer. ]

You just have bad luck... In the wrong place at the wrong time, something like that.

[scotch_egg]

It doesn't make sense... [but if it were... another life...reincarnation... whatever... Wasn't that based on bad karma? Things you did transferring over into your next life? Maybe this was penance... But if it was, it wasn't strong enough]

[serpentinthegarden]

It makes as much sense as what you said.

[ Maybe... Anyway, no. Lifetimes of torment were out. ]

[scotch_egg]

If you say so. [he doesn't sound convinced. Sorry. Maybe it's just the way it is. But in a way, Whitly was right. There was no use in just cursing about it. What could he do about it?]

[serpentinthegarden]

[ Cursing about things was what he did... between living life at ninety miles and hour. When things didn't make sense drama ensued. Alec's calm acceptance of all of this was maddening and more than deserving of a glare. ]

You can't be ok with that? Don't you want to, I don't know, throw something??

[scotch_egg]

And what good would that do? Anyway-- it's fine. [it wasn't. Not even a little] I don't have any more choice than you.

[serpentinthegarden]

So what? You're allowed to be mad about it! Scream if you want, get sloppy drunk! This resigned acceptance sucks!

[ It was too much like those memories of Alec's. Him standing on some lonely beach which he hated anyway, with a dead kid, waiting for the cops... ]

[scotch_egg]

[he gives his cousin a dry look]

Last time I got sloppy drunk because I was angry I ended up in hospital.

[because he was just that much of a burden]

Look you worry about you, let me worry about me. You're angry enough for the both of us.

[serpentinthegarden]

[ He remembered that. It had been horrible. Finding Alec in such a near-death state riding around on the bloody subway like a hobo. Anthony paled almost instantly and walked that comment back with a splutter.]

Never want to do that again. Forget I said anything.

The problem is you won't worry about you! You'll do that annoying oppressed martyr thing instead of speaking up and actually saying everything isn't alright. It doesn't make you weaker to lean on other people now and then.

[scotch_egg]

Because I hate it. Because that's all I become to people. Someone to be cared for. Just an invalid. I hate it. Can you just let me take care of my own problems without hovering over me?

[serpentinthegarden]

Thats not how it works. It doesn't make you an invalid to accept an invite to lunch now and then or to talk about whats been going on.

Anyway I wasn't hovering I was looming. I imagine demons do a great deal of looming.

[scotch_egg]

I already told you. You want me to get pissed about it. [and he was starting to]

And shut up about the demon thing. Just... stop. If that's who you are, fine. But will you stop going on bout what demons do.

[serpentinthegarden]

You don't have to get pissed, just show some kind of feeling about it. I... don't want to see you resigned to it.

[ Anthony glanced away, suddenly finding the wall opposite a more understandable companion. If you are a demon, fine, but don't talk about it. What if talking about what demons do was who he was? It certainly came naturally enough. ]