IC CONTACT.

[handycapable]

VOICE TEXT MAIL ACTION

© TESSISAMESS

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[demonicmiracle]

You wouldn't believe me if I told you.

[handycapable]

So...

Does that mean it's something good?

[demonicmiracle]

Yup!

[handycapable]

Oh come on, don't I at least get a hint??

[demonicmiracle]

Closer to what you got than what Sterling did.

[handycapable]

Oh.

[ He thinks about it, but what was Crowley missing...? A dick? Maybe he shouldn't ask. ]

Well, congratulations.
Whatever it is I'm happy for you.

And speaking of Archer... any ideas yet?

[demonicmiracle]

[Crowley squints at the text for a moment or two, a little confused by the immediate drop of the subject, before it clicks.]

Do I want to ask what assumption you've just made?

Still considering it. Sugar in his gas tank? Swap out his shampoo for bleach?

[handycapable]

What?
No, no assumptions! Go ahead and tell me, I give up.

OMG but 100% do the shampoo thing. He loves that hair, like you don't even know.

[demonicmiracle]

Well now I'm not certain you deserve to know.

That's a good bit of advice, though. Shampoo switch up it is.

And it was my wings, that I got back. I swear I'm not pulling your leg.

1/2

[handycapable]

Can't wait.
OMG I hate these things don't have cameras in them, do you own a camera??

2/2

[handycapable]

Wait, your what?

[demonicmiracle]

What, you didn't really think I was human, did you?

[Really, Raymond.]

[handycapable]

As opposed to?????
What else am I gonna think??
What do you mean you're not human??

[demonicmiracle]

[He's admittedly having fun with this, but he doesn't want to be too much of a dick.]

Perhaps this is best explained in person. Would you like to come by for a drink?

[handycapable]

[ DOES he...? "Inhuman" is a mildly terrifying revelation to hear from someone, but on the other hand, Ray himself is a cyborg so maybe he needs to think about this from a different angle. ]

Sure. Right now?

[demonicmiracle]

If you've time. I'll be home the rest of the evening, so there's no rush if you need a bit.

[He hesitates on the next bit, because sometimes reassurances can make things worse, but.]

I'm not dangerous, here. No more than anyone is.

[handycapable]

Oh, no, it isn't that, I know you're not-

[ Well, ]

I'm not worried about that.
Give me about 15-20 minutes, I'll drive over.

[demonicmiracle]

No need to lie to me, Ray, it's alright.

I'll open us a bottle of wine, you can let yourself in if you'd like.

[He feels weird about it now, the brief playful lost under concern that Ray is going to be too scared of him to keep being friends.

This is why he keeps it a secret, what he is.

But Ray's coming to see him, at least, so that's a... start. He opens the wine, as promised, and manages to put together a halfway decent cheese plate, then loiters nervously around the living room to wait.]

[handycapable]

I'm not! I swear I'm not lying!!

[ Well, maybe call it "cautious honesty," but he likes Crowley, so Ray is making an effort. Besides, again, he's not totally in a position to judge...

But the hand does it make it so much easier to drive. Still keeping it gloved like he normally does, he gets to Crowley's with a bit of time to spare, walking carefully up the path and knocking on the door before letting himself in. ]

Hey, it's me...

[demonicmiracle]

[Rather than call Ray in to where he is, Crowley goes to meet him in the hall, offering out a glass of a decent Californian red. He's not big on American wines, in general, but needs must.

He looks — exactly how he always does, if a bit anxious. He'd put his sunglasses on, then felt stupid about it and taken them off, leaving them tossed idly on the sofa.]

Erm — hi. [This is stupid. He hates how awkward he feels, how uncertain.] You'll laugh, you know. That bloody lamp you got us was more on the nose than you realise.

[He tries to diffuse it with a joke, with a wry grin that falls just a little flat.]

[handycapable]

[ Ray, on the other hand, almost wishes he had moonshine on hand for this moment -- or something similarly strong -- but he does like red wine, so he accepts it gratefully (with his right hand) and empties about half his glass in one swig.

He just looks at Crowley with a curious sort of solemnity, not yet sure how serious the moment should be. ]

Uh-- [ With a slightly nervous laugh. ] How d'you mean?

[demonicmiracle]

[The trick to nerves is not to acknowledge them, that's how he should be playing this. Crowley doesn't have his own glass, it's waiting in the living room, which means he can easily take a step back into a sweeping bow, over the top and dramatic.]

Anthony Crowley, the Serpent of Eden, at your service.

[The smile is sharper this time, more genuine and a tiny bit dangerous, because he needs to sell it, that he's cool and unaffected by all this. That he isn't worried he's lost the first proper friend he's made since Leonardo.]

[handycapable]

[ First one of Ray's eyebrows raises, then the other, his expression becoming progressively more caught between confused and stunned as the words process. He gestures with a finger as if about to speak, then changes his mind for the moment, just standing there in slightly cock-headed silence.

He isn't sure what to say or do for a moment, finally rubbing at the side of his head a bit idly. ]

The... but you're not...

[ He looks Crowley over a little helplessly, then looks around the room, trying to make sense of it all. God, has this really been Hell the entire time?? He knew it... ]

But this isn't...? [ Then, quietly and nervously, in that fearfully reverent way of child asking if they're going to Hell: ] Is it?

[demonicmiracle]

[Somehow, it didn't occur to him that someone might leap to that conclusion, based on learning what he is, but he's not always the best at thinking ahead.

He doesn't let it rattle him too much, just shakes his head.]

Nah, Hell is far worse than this. They dragged me here as much as they did you, made me human on top of it. Now they've at least given me back — well — these.

[It's a careful thing, the appearance of his wings; he keeps them folded in tight against his back, to avoid knocking anything off the walls.]

[handycapable]

Well, y'can see why I would-- Jesus!

[ Ray leaps back like a startled cat when Crowley's wings unfold, although they don't sproing out to some enormous size like for a second Ray expected they would. He puts his hand over his heart, exhaling slowly. Any remaining doubts he may still have had based on Crowley's words alone are certainly gone now, but: ]

Wait, if you're the snake, then why do you have wings?