(Untitled)

[playswithboys]

Time: July 16, 2000
Setting: The greenhouse
Status: Public (Crowley's gardening expertise needed!)
Summary: Pepper's having issues with the greenery

Comments

[playswithboys]

Pepper's mouth twisted a little at being called "kid". Of course, he was undoubtedly much older than her, being what he was, but really now. The nickname actually wasn't so bad, it was more adding with the fact that he obviously didn't believe her. Masking. She had to figure it out. She squinted a little when he claimed that Adam had never had to intervene with him. Well maybe she just didn't believe him on that herself. After all, he was there too, wasn't he?

And then he... wait, was he offering to help? That was a surprise, as he didn't seem the type. She glanced at the ground for a moment to collect her gaze, not wanting to seem so over-amped about everything. "That would be great. If you have time, that is, don't want to bother you." She smirked as she pondered over how he'd worded the offer. "But what exactly do I have to do to convince you?"

His sunglasses went down and she saw a flash of yellow-gold and narrow pupils. Eyes of a snake, she'd seen enough pictures to know. She gasped just a little, quietly as she could. And she tried not to let her eyes go too wide. "Brilliant," she whispered. Her stomach was not in the right place at all, she realized. "What do you do? I mean, what sort are you?" She had a strange desire to step closer, but she knew she shouldn't, so she planted her feet resolutely.

[anthony_crowley]

He had to stifle a snigger at her expression. But really, kid was affectionate for him. He could have called her Red.

Crowley could tell that she didn't believe him, though. Let her ask around. He had a damn good reason to be at the Manor and he rarely started fights. He couldn't help it if he often had to defend himself against others, though.

"I've got nothing but time," he replied with a smirk. "As to how to convince me, that's up to you. Homemade pie, good conversation, I'm flexible..."

The demon had no such inhibitions and did step nearer to her, though not enough to be threatening. "If I tell you that, Pepper," he said, voice low and soft, her name rolling smooth and velvet off his tongue, "then you'll guard yourself against me. Isn't it more fun to leave things a bit... mysterious?"

[playswithboys]

She raised an eyebrow at the first suggestion. "Do I look like the sort of girl that makes pies in her free time? I think the last time I tried to cook the fire department came to my house and the kitchen smelled like vinegar and cooking yeast for a month." Which made her sound like an idiot. Well, it wasn't her fault that she was domestically challenged. When your best friends were all boys it was hard to get into knitting and the like. Pepper had never found any of that homey stuff interesting in the slightest.

If it had been anything else that looked or sounded male advancing on her like that, she would have backed away or prepared to deliver a roundhouse punch. But he was stepping closer and she didn't budge. Or she might have leaned in. A little.

Guard herself against him? She didn't think she could if she tried. And she had never ever heard her name spoken like that. Truthfully, she'd never thought that calling someone's name could be erotic, certainly not her name, which was meant more as an endearment to her friends and family than it was something to be proud of. But when he said it, something shot straight down to her toes and her blood gave a quick roar in her ears. What is wrong with you? she scolded in her head, not used to being so easily provoked this way. He probably does this to people like you all the time. Get a grip.

She tilted her chin up defiantly. She could at least look like she was making an effort here. "S'pose it is more fun. But don't expect me not to try an' figure it out." Which she was already trying to do. And it was strange because she felt like it was obvious, and she was just too close to piece it together. Her brain felt a little fogged up at the moment.

[anthony_crowley]

He laughed at that. "No, you don't, actually. So you'll have to think of something else."

Glancing around, Crowley's eyes landed on a flowering bush situated just behind Pepper. With a smile, he reached around her, produced a small, sharp knife, and cut off the lovliest of the burgundy roses. After quickly running the knife down the stem to remove all the thorns, he slipped it behind her right ear. Let her figure that one out, this intriguing girl of conflicting passions.

"Be my guest," he whispered in her ear. "Let me know when you work it out."

With that, Crowley slipped out of the greenhouse and headed back up to the Manor in a better mood than he'd been in for quite some time.

[playswithboys]

When he reached out, Pepper had a moment of panic where she wondered where his hand was going, but it wasn't really because of the proximity as much as her own reaction to him. She watched as the knife appeared in his hand out of nowhere, watched with fascination as he deftly cut the rose from the bush, and watched without breathing as he slipped the rose behind her ear. Pepper felt the brush of air against her cheek and ear as he whispered, and every hair on the back of her neck stood on end. It would have normally annoyed her, as she despised cliches, but she had a flower behind her ear at the moment and everything was a little sideways.

He left quickly as he seemed to have arrived, and Pepper reached up to touch the rose, fingering the soft petals carefully. When she looked down she noticed that the pruning shears were on the floor. She had no idea when she had dropped them.

Later, when she left the greenhouse, she looked by the door outside and saw the begonia left in a spare pot looking dejected and pitiful. She laughed until her sides hurt.

She decided to leave the rose behind her ear for the remander of the day. Let people ask if they wanted to. She wouldn't tell.

Mysteries were more fun.