10: Shedding skin is easier than most people suspect.

[scaresplants]

Who: Anthony J. Crowley and YOU.
Where: Hanging on a tree in the park
When: All day, man.
Style: Any you want!
Status: OPEN LIKE YOUR HEART TO TEMPTATION i mean what

[So, Vatheonites and new arrivals, you might be wandering around the park, exploring all it has to offer, when you might come across a tree in the middle of the clearing. For some reason, this area is quiet- no birds sing, no squirrels chatter. The tree just stands there, looking rather ordinary.]




[And hanging from a branch of this tree is something long and vivid green. A small snake. Which is odd, because if you've been in Vatheon before, you probably haven't seen any snakes around here.]

[It just sits there, red tongue flicking out lazily every so often. Approach it? Try to pet it? Talk to it? See what happens. Crowley won't bite...if you don't make him angry, that is.]

[ooc: Anthony J. Crowley is in his snake form and hanging out in the park, basically, because he is the Serpent of Eden and he does what he wants. And yes, he can speak. Just not yet, because scaring you all is a much better use of his time than just acting dumb. People who can detect demonic powers and such will be able to tell that he isn't just an ordinary snake. B)]

Comments

of course they should /o/

[scaresplants]

[Crowley notices the visitor and raises his head slightly to have a better look at him. Ah, another one of those trolls. And this one is bigger. He flicks his tongue out, and he really does look curious- probably because his conversation with Nepeta a while ago did make him interested in these trolls he hadn't talked to much about.]

[So he merely gazes at Signless, as if to say "Well, hello there to you too."]

[withoutasign]

[Signless is charmed by the way the snake just flicked its tongue at him. He likes snakes, having known a lusus who was a snake long ago, and this one seems friendly.]

What are you doing down in the bubble? Wouldn't you be more comfortable up on the island?

[The island seems more snake-friendly than the bubble.]

[scaresplants]

[There's a pause. After what had happened with people on that island when it first opened (people had gone mad and Ryoji had torn him a new one, not too many fond memories really), he decided that place must be cursed somehow. It made sense in his mind.]

[Besides, he lives here. So he just shakes his head after a while, clearly saying that no, he'd rather not live on that island even if that place had a car emporium on it.]

[withoutasign]

You can understand me?

[Signless is a little surprised by that! Besides the white barkbeast who was someone special in her world, he didn't realize there were talking animals in the bubble. And Ammy looked like a lusus, while this snake definitely doesn't.]

Can you speak?

[scaresplants]

[He nods to the first question, and just peers at him slightly at the next, wondering what to do. He could play dumb, but how long was that going to last? Besides, it's not like there was a well-versed collection of snake sigh-language he could draw upon to continue the conversation.]

[So, after a period of silence, he lowers his head slightly, giving another quick nod. And then he speaks, in a very curt British accent:]

Yesssssss, I can.

[withoutasign]

I see!

[Signless smiles at the snake, pleased. He likes making new friends, and he can tell there's something different about this snake. Its energy is confusing him, though; it's like it wants to be wicked, but it's not, somehow.]

Do you have a name? I'm Signless.

[scaresplants]

[Crowley just stares at the troll levelly, wondering why he seems to attract all the happy friend-making people in this place.]

Ssssssssssignless? Odd name. Me?

[A pause.]

I'm Crawly.

[That was his name when he was hanging out in that garden over five thousand years ago, after all. Wouldn't hurt to use it.]

because this happy friend-maker has a mun who loves Neil Gaiman, that's why! :D

[withoutasign]

A pleasure, Crawly.

[Signless looks him over carefully. He's getting that feeling again, that sense that something about this snake is just a little... off.]

You're not just an ordinary snake, are you? There's something... other-worldly about you.

/screams I LOVE YOU EVEN MORE THAN I ALREADY DO NOW

[scaresplants]

[If snakes could shrug, Crowley would be doing so now.]

I've been around for a while. That'sssss all.

[Because telling him he's the demon who tempted Eve and Adam from getting banished from the Garden of Eden is definitely not a good way to explain who you are.]

I want to adopt two kittens and name them Crowley and Aziraphale someday

[withoutasign]

[Signless wouldn't recognize the story anyway.]

Interesting. I've never met a talking snake before. Are you from Earth or some other planet?

[Don't mind him, he's going to take a seat under Crawly's tree and stretch his legs out in front of him.]

ASDFGGDSDFG THAT IS THE BEST PLAN I SUPPORT THIS PLAN

[scaresplants]

I'm from Earth. You're an alien, aren't you?

[Oh. He's sitting underneath him. Okay. Not as planned, but hey, this is better than just sitting all day and not talking to anyone at all. He lowers himself a little so he can still keep eye contact with the troll.]

[withoutasign]

I didn't realize they had talking animals on Earth. But yes, I'm from another planet. Alternia, specifically.

[Signless notices how Crawly had to drop down a bit to maintain eye contact, and he offers the snake one hand.]

If you'd like to sit on me so we can speak more easily, that's okay. If you don't, that's fine too. Whatever makes you most comfortable.

[scaresplants]

Alternia? Hmm. Never heard of it, but I'm not surprised.

[He stares at the hand for a while, slightly bothered by the whole familiarity of this. This troll reminded him slightly of Aziraphale, but even more so, the troll reminded him of God's one and only Son. It was odd. The kindness, the words he used...it bothered Crowley somewhat because he remembered being up in Heaven. He remembered being an angel. And then everything had changed when He had fell.]

[So, there's a long pause, and then Crowley slowly slithers over to the Signless' hand, inwardly telling himself it's only because snakes need warmth and people are obviously more comfortable than tree branches, but really, he's slightly intrigued by this visitor.]

...Alright, but if you try to kill or hurt me, you are getting some nice fangs in your skin, understand?

[withoutasign]

Why would I want to hurt you?

[Signless is genuinely confused by that notion! He holds his hand still as Crawly slithers towards it, only rotating it a bit at the wrist to offer a flatter surface for the snake to drop down to.]

Trust me, I have no intention of causing you harm. That's not my way.

[scaresplants]

Because people hurt other people. A radical new invention, I know.

[He eventually wraps around Signless' arm, letting his leg dangle off his hand.]

What isssssss your way, then?

[withoutasign]

So you are a person then, and not just a snake.

[Signless smiles beatifically, happy to have figured that out. When asked about his way, though, he thinks on it for a moment, before looking down seriously at the green snake wrapped around his arm.]

My way is the way of peace and love. Acceptance, for everyone, regardless of the color of their blood or their lifespan. Cooperation, and working together, and making the world better for everyone.

[He stops, and laughs a little.]

That sounds hopelessly naive and optimistic, doesn't it?

[scaresplants]

Well, a sort of person. Not exactly what you are thinking of.

[He pauses and listens to what Signless has to say, and just flicks his tongue out is slight exasperation. Oh, he's heard this before.]

It does, really. You remind me of someone I know...

[A slight huff.] So you're just basically spreading love and peace and all those nice things, aren't you?

[withoutasign]

I'm trying, at least.

[Signless sighs, lost in his own thoughts for a moment.]

I wasn't all that successful.

[scaresplants]

You weren't?

[He lets out a small sigh.]

Don't tell me, they persecuted you for it and thought you were the worst thing to ever walk on this earth, "how dare he say such things", and all.

[withoutasign]

I wasn't. In fact, when I get set back home from being here, I'll be walking to my death.

[He sighs in chorus.]

It... wasn't quite as polite and civilized as that. More like "cull the mutant immediately, he has no right to exist" and so on.

[scaresplants]

Ah.

[An awkward pause, before:]

Well, that's not too different from what people did to someone I know like you back home. But he succeeded, in some ways. His word lived on, but nowadays people still argue over it because no one is sure what to believe anymore.

[withoutasign]

[That grabs Signless' attention.]

Are you talking about Jesus?

[He was given a Bible for Christmas and just recently got into the New Testament.]

People are still fighting over what he said? That... seems like the exact opposite of what he would have wanted.