05 🍎 No sight of solid ground and never look straight down

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

[Open spam (starters?)]
[The livery stables are disgusting. As if it wasn't enough to have huge, stinking live horses around, they have to deal with their inanimate remains and bulking spectral forms. He was happy to leave them but displeased to find himself in the Guardsmen's Tower, though luckily it seems diversions work as well with ghosts as live people. He tarries for a bit in the Banquet Hall, unable to resist spooking a few of the ghosts (if you'll pardon the pun). The ballroom proves trickier, and the crowd fights him before he gives in to the dance.*

It's in the Menagerie that he really loses his nerve. He thought it was filled only with particularly evocative statues, but that was before noticing the life in their eyes. That's when he decides to leave -- made more difficult by the swarm of astral serpents and the thump of approaching footsteps.

This is all too oddly familiar for comfort.]


[Video]
[When Crowley broadcasts it's from a cell in the guest rooms. Behind him the Stern Woman reads aloud from her book, intoning his sins. Not all the speech is audible: "lies," "temptation," "corruption," and "damnation" are repeated. He seems entirely unconcerned by this, even relaxed.]

Right, that's it, I'm throwing in the towel. I got past the guards, the overexcitable diners, the dancers**, and the spectral worms and giant robot in the freakish statue gallery. [He grimaces; that was one of the more disturbing places he's been.] Why is it always giant robots with you people?

This place is safer than anywhere else I've seen. I'm staying here. [He powers up his iPod and puts on a pair of earbuds.] I'll go back to the Mezzanine later. Text me if I miss anything.



*It's not as stupid as it sounds.
**This occasion marks the first time since 1886 that Crowley was grateful he knew how to waltz.

Comments

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

[Crowley points to his earbuds and switches to text.]

I'm pretty sure it is. There's nothing in here but her and her book.

[tucky]

your in those bedrooms right

they are not safe i can tell you that. im just warning you becuz i like you

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

What else is in here?

[tucky]

monsters disgized as hot people. wanting to feed you, give you booze, have sex with you etcetra.

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

[Again, that's a little too familiar for comfort.]

Why haven't I run into one of those yet? All I got was chased by worms.

[tucky]

you do'nt want to tho. they just drain you.

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

Is that what they did to him?

[tucky]

yup

you want to spend a dangerous port passed out and defenseless to?

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

No, which is why I'm camping out here. Nothing's come in, I think they're afraid of her.

[tucky]

oh

but your getting called damned and that ca'nt be fun

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

Am I? I can't hear it over this album.

[He's very proud of the iPod. It was one of his more ingenious recent projects and no one could say it didn't pay off.]

[tucky]

among other nasty things yea. but maybe she just means your going to BE damned and you have a chance to stop it. like a warning.

what are you listening to

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

You think so? What I heard didn't sound like constructive criticism.

This is Nirvana.

[tucky]

it was just a guess i do'nt know.

i wish my ipod had come along with me from the barge.

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

This is why mine's always in my jacket.

[tucky]

feel like coming over and sharing

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

Drag him over here, it's safer.

[tucky]

i do'nt think so, people are already looking for us here.

and i do'nt want to be near that woman.

[She's worried that she'd tell her she's damned, too.]

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

It's not as if she's really got news.

[tucky]

i just do'nt want to hear her say anything about me is all.

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

You could come in singing at the top of your lungs and not stop until you have the headphones.




Fine, I'll come by.

[tucky]

i do'nt want to leave this spot cuz this is where i said i would be

thanks

[And she'll be there, waiting.]

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

[It doesn't take him too long to get to the stairwell: the beings in the guest rooms sound like younger tempters, and he invented that. He's got no fear of them, is even a little annoyed to be leaving. He at least knows what to expect there.]

Hi. [He plucks out the earbuds and dangles the iPod by the cord.] You said something about wanting this?

[tucky]

Hi.

[She gives him a little nod in greeting.]

Can I listen? I mean, I ain't asking to steal them or nothing. But there's two earbuds-- you know, one for each person.

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

[Oh.

That's a lot nicer than he was expecting her to be. He blinks, and nods after a beat.] Sure, I guess. You can pick the band.

[Crowley settles down next to her and hands her the mp3 player. The music on it is a mixture of classical music, early blues and jazz, and popular rock and pop from the 1960s up until 2005.

There's a frustrating amount of Queen on it. No matter what he tries he can't get the stuff off.]