lifenet | text ; 8/10

Entry tags:

text ; 8/10

right, cant say im much for mass communication without a character limit but needs must. im new in town, got a couple questions, figured i could crowdsource the answers

1. how have you lot not gone mental from boredom? there's got to be something to do around here that isnt poking about that miserable other island

[This is to say that while Crowley is, in fact, genuinely bored, he's also sort of eager to help around the island (he likes feeling useful, don't @ him about it) but if he actually admitted that out loud he'd immediately crumble to dust, because he's a demon, and demons aren't helpful.]

2. follow up to point 1, has anyone got a good grasp of what animals can be hunted? ive seen flowering sheep and furbies and i dont wanna waste energy on something thats not edible

3. bad idea to swim in the lake? yes or no?

4. ill trade my left arm for a bloody tshirt if anyones got a spare

[Not technically a question, but please, he's dying squirtle.]

cheers

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I suppose it is alright.

[Frankly, he doesn't have much care for it; alcohol has never been a beverage of choice. But a bottle of wine might be nice to have around for guests?]

Oh! Yes, I did meet him! It is so nice that you are both here. [He sounds a little wistful, but then, who doesn't want to arrive with a friend?] Yes, sometimes people can be a little alarmed, if they are expecting me to be something else. It is understandable - I am rather large.

You suppose? [Not good enough, then.] How about chocolates?

[Everyone loves chocolates.]

Convenient more than anything, someone's got to keep an eye on him. [And it's been Crowley's job for a good millennia or three at least.] Well, you don't have to worry, promise I won't be at all alarmed.

[He's seen worse, probably.]

Ah -

[Fun news: chocolate immediately reminds him of his child who just vanished like two days ago!]

- er, yes, that sounds...nice. [...] I planted a cacao tree recently. I had thought to make chocolate from it eventually, or at least cocoa for the children.

[ANYWAY wow let's move on. Monsters, humans, right. It makes sense that Crowley might be more used to non-humans. He might be the same sort of being as Aziraphale. Asgore's not quite sure what that is, only that he didn't have a human soul. Whatever he had instead was bright, and he felt like he wasn't seeing all of it - but he's seen all sorts of things in that regard, with so many various non-humans about. He doesn't tend to make much of such things.]

That is good to hear.

[WHOOPS.

It's easy to hear something of hesitation there, but Crowley likes to think he's fairly good at reading people, and he gets the impression it's time to let this go. Maybe he'll just turn up empty handed and offer to miracle up whatever Asgore wants. It's easier to do that sort of thing in person.]

Sounds like they'd probably appreciate that, most kids love chocolate.

[He'd offer to help, but he knows very little about chocolate production. He never spent much time with the Mayans.]

If you've got nothing happening now, I could pop over in a bit? I'd give a better estimate on the time, but my watch stopped working when I got here.

[$18,500 watch and it can't survive a little dip in the ocean. Tragic.]

I'm afraid that happens with most technology. I actually have a machine that is meant to open doorways between worlds - like how we were brought here - but it has not worked since I arrived.

[He never really used it personally anyway. Alex had opened the door to get them out of Beacon, and Asgore was gone before they left the lab. But he likes to think he could at least figure out how to make it take him back home, if it would turn on at all.]

That would be just fine. I am not doing much at present. Would you like a cup of tea when you arrive?

Shame, that'd be a big help, something like that.

[It makes sense, though, the same way that it makes sense that Crowley's ability to move himself through space has been cut off. Whatever brought them here doesn't want to them to leave so easily.

They could've let him keep his watch functional, though.]

Oh, I'd love a cup of tea. Nothing that tastes like anise if you don't mind, but I've no preferences other than that.

Very well. I will put a pot on to boil, and you can see what I have when you get here.

[Ha ha what's making a decision on someone else's behalf, it's like you think he's some kind of ruler or other person whose whole job that supposedly is]

Sure thing, I'll see you soon, Asgore.

[If he was more certain of his ability to make people not see him, Crowley could've made the journey nice and quick by flying over the water, but as it is, he feels better taking the long route.

It's a nice walk, though, and he maybe cheats once or twice with a little teleportation, until he finds what he can only assume is Asgore's house, just based on the sheer number of plants around it. Crowley spends a moment just admiring it, breathing in the scent of fresh growth.

Then he spots the apple tree a little further off and laughs, chuckling to himself as he heads to the door to knock. He's a polite young man.]

[Asgore had rather intended to go and try meeting Crowley halfway anyhow, but he arrives a little quicker than he expected. Ah, well, the water is ready anyhow.]

Ah, howdy, Crowley. Please, come in.

[The house is much nicer, ever since Harv upgraded them; it's not really a shack anymore. But the floorboards have been neatly removed in places to leave only dirt, because half of the furniture is just plants. The table is formed of sturdy vines winding around a low trellis, and one of the chairs is just a very large flower. The other's a regular chair; there's a bud growing on the other side of the table, but it's hardly ready to be sat upon yet.

The small fireplace is alight with white-silver flame that doesn't seem to be giving off much heat, although the kettle above it is boiling. Asgore bends to remove it.]

What would you like? I have a few blends made from flowers native to these islands, if that sounds interesting.

Heya, your garden's lovely.

[Crowley gives Asgore a once over, but it's a quick assessment, the same sort of look he'd give anyone new he's meeting, just taking stock of them. He might be a demon, but he's not going to be rude and stare.

Speaking of rude, he hesitates only briefly as he steps inside, before carefully removing his sunglasses and tucking them into the pocket of his jacket. He's used to wearing them all the time, mostly because it's easier than having a constant low level thrum of don't look at me magic surrounding him. But he knows it's considered a bit impolite to leave them on inside, and this guy's a monster, apparently. He likely won't fuss about Crowley's slitted pupils.

Unlike the quick once over he gave Asgore, Crowley is more open about taking in the interior of the house, eyebrows climbing up at the sight of a table and chair made out of plants. Why didn't the Almighty ever think of that?]

Oh, sure, let's go something native. I'm a big fan of bitter, or tannic, if you've got anything along those lines.

[Sort of an odd flavor profile to be a fan of, but he likes anything that's strong, and bitter flavors tend to come across better. There's a reason he drinks his coffee black.]

[Indeed, Crowley's eyes don't even get a second glance. Asgore had already known he wasn't a human anyway, and with the near-infinite variety found in monster appearances, they really aren't that remarkable.]

Candle flower, then. It is made from those flowers out there, by the trees.

[It is broad daylight outside, and the light of the lantern flowers twining up and around his door isn't really bright enough to compete. But the candle flowers, which thrive in the shade, are a tiny bit visibly glowing.]

It is supposed to be good for colds! Though I have not had the opportunity to see.

[It isn't hard to guess which plant the candle flower might be, when he takes a peek through the window, and Crowley immediately decides that he'd like to take a cutting of those, if possible. Aziraphale will like them.

He nearly asks after them, before he's distracted by what Asgore says next.]

Ugh, really hope I don't have to find that out either. Don't know if this body is going to get sick now, I guess I'll have to be careful about it.

[He hasn't been sick in his entire existence and he's not sure how far his abilities extend now. He knows he can still heal faster than a human, he tested that on his second day, but he has no idea if it'll cover sickness as well.

Having a corporeal body turns out to be a hassle when he's stripped of a lot of his magic.]

What's the thing humans need? Vitamins? You know anything about that?

[Vitamins are in plants, right?]

Oh, goodness, not very much. Monsters are made of dust and magic, not flesh and blood. Things work differently for us.

[He literally just learned about stuff like tetanus like, a few years back.

Asgore goes ahead and pours the tea, one cup for Crowley and one for himself. This isn't the first time he's heard of people's bodily needs changing. His own haven't very much, although his magical stamina is not what it was.]

I suppose it is important to eat a varied diet, and get plenty of rest and exercise. Did you need to do any of that previously?

Dust and magic.

[He repeats it, rolling the words around in his mouth, almost a question but not quite. He wonders what dust means, if it's literal or if it could be a word for something else.

He won't outright ask, though, in case it's impolite.]

Never had to do much to keep this thing going. [Crowley claims his mug, lets the warmth of it seep into his hands. It makes him miss London, suddenly, but he pushes the feeling down.] I've always liked a good nap and a good glass of wine. Or tea. Or whiskey. But it's never been necessary.

You speak of it as though it is a vessel. Are you incorporeal?

[Asgore sounds like it's a totally pedestrian idea to him. He's thinking of ghost monsters, really; if one of them inhabits a body without bonding to it, that's pretty much how it goes.]

Sort of, I suppose. I got this form back when we started mucking about in a physical plane, but I'm something else underneath it all. Not very pretty, I'm afraid.

[Maybe he was, once, although angelic forms aren't exactly easy on the eyes either.

Be not afraid, and all that.]

Have you got Christianity, where you're from?

I'm sure that is not true.

[It's an automatic response, meant to be kind. What's a societal beauty standard anyway, for a monster? At the question, Asgore frowns, casting his mind back. He's heard humans use "Christ" as some kind of oath. And he's fairly sure Krauser mentioned the full word, back in the chapel at Beacon...]

Oh...that is one of the human religions, is it not? I suppose they may have it in my world, but my people have not had direct contact with humanity for quite some time. Why do you ask?

That's nice of you to say.

[He doesn't quite sound like he believes it, though. It's just that it's meant to be scary, the truth of him, that's what demons were made to be, but it's one of the things that he's (mostly) made peace with, over the years.]

It'd make an explanation easier, is all, if you were familiar. God made all the angels, and back then we didn't bother much with time or bodies or physics. It's more fun to get about on Earth if you've got a body, though, and I'm alright with this one. [Better than the serpent, honestly.] But you've got humans, then? If they're on Earth still, where do monsters live?

There was a war, thousands of years ago. The humans imprisoned us in a cave system beneath a mountain.

[It's been a long time, and he has delivered this explanation before. Asgore can say it plainly enough, though his gaze skitters away for a moment. He wonders if it's easier for monsters who do not remember the war.]

[Crowley is a demon, this is true enough, but he's never been a very good one. At the work of it sure, but the... emotion behind it, the anger and the cruelty, that's never been him. Demons have little use for empathy, but Crowley's expression softens just a fraction, more open without his sunglasses to hide behind.]

That sounds like humans, yeah.

[The words are a little flippant, but his voice isn't. It's not difficult to see a comparison. A war. A banishment underground. Crowley got lucky, he still gets to see the sunlight.]

I'm sorry.

[That feels a bit strange, leaving his mouth, but he'll stand by it. He's sorry, he understands, even if it'd be harder to say that second part.]

...thank you.

[Asgore hesitates a little, not quite sure if he should speak in defense of humans, as a whole. But in that situation, well - they attacked first. There was no provocation; monsters had done nothing. Surely they were in the wrong then? No matter what came after?]

So yes, we very rarely see humans anymore. Most of what I know of their culture comes from the garbage that comes down in the river.

[Because it seems like everyone on the surface just throws their shit in the nearest body of water?]

[Thank you has been such a loaded term over the years, but Crowley allows it now without complaint. No one's watching, here, no one's breathing down his neck to make sure he isn't nice.]

Well, I figure you've gotten used to them by now, being here, but if you've ever got questions about it I've been on Earth for a good few millennia, could consider myself an expert on human culture.

[Don't ask him history questions, he never remembers those details, but culture, that's the best part of humanity.]

Just uh, out of professional curiosity, do monsters have gods?

[Always with the questions, always wanting to know more.]

No, not as such. There was a prophecy made, about an angel who would come and release us from the Underground - but that is more about a hope for the future, I think.

[They don't worship the angel, or anything like that. Many monsters seem to look to Asgore himself more than the angel, these days.

Asgore himself has long since given up a belief in such a savior.]

We do not have churches, or any of those things.

Best not to rely too much on angels, bunch of useless wankers, most of them.

[He understands that angels could be a term for something other than specifically God-made angels, but still, it's sort of contractually obliged that he get a dig in there, especially when his visit to Heaven is still fresh in his mind.]

It's not all it's cracked up to be, anyway. Religion, I mean. You're probably better off without it.

I think the angel is metaphorical.

[No one expects an actual literal angel to descend. They'd thought...he once thought...

Well. Never mind.]

I suppose. Some people do seem to get very worked up about it. [Asgore seems like he's trying to avoid saying anything negative about anybody.] But the only gods I have ever encountered were outside of my own world.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

action!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject