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[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

Date: March 15, 2001
Status: Private (War and Crowley)
Setting: Greenhouse
Summary: War is doing some surveillance on the supposed cat torturer.


The morning after his awkward conversation with Gabriel, Crowley needed a quiet restorative. He'd been cooped up inside too much, which led to stilted, drunken conversations with archangels. Better to get outside, he thought, and see what was going on during the first fine day in March. The plants probably needed a good talking to as they started to poke their spring shoots out of the ground, or their pots as the case may be, so he decided to go to the greenhouse.

However, as the demon reached the door, he heard a plaintive, "Mrrrow?"

Chicago was at his feet, blinking big yellow eyes up at him. It was true she hadn't been able to explore much lately...

"Oh, all right. Stupid cat. But you'll do what I say."

She just head-butted his ankle. Crowley picked up Chicago with a sigh - no cat hairs would dare transfer themselves to his suit - and headed outside.

Once inside the greenhouse, he made sure the doors and windows were all closed to prevent her escape and let the cat down to do as she would. Sort of.

"Don't get dirty or eat anything."

With a dismissive exhale, she slinked off, all long legs and sleek fur - a huntress looking for her prey.

Rolling his eyes, the demon turned his attentions to the plants. Eventually, along a far wall, he found a sunflower idly sending roots out of its own container to one nearby.

In a loud, menacing voice, he told it, "If you don't get out of that pot this second, I am going to cut your fucking head off." The sunflower shook slightly as the roots began to slowly retract. Crowley grinned evilly.

Comments

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

Flora? War thought to herself. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a thought tried to nudge its way forward to suggest that perhaps she had misunderstood the situation. However, when War was in combat, niggling thoughts tended to be dangerous.

"Flora?" she snorted. "I think you mean fauna. Don't try to pretend you weren't threatening this cat," she said, tightening her grip on the fur at the scruff of the cat's neck.

"Don't think you can get her back, either," she continued, flicking the weapon to the first setting and casually shooting the demon's left arm. This non-lethal fighting was proving to be entertaining.

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

When his arm went totally numb and he was still suffering from nausea, Crowley started to panic. "You bitch! You killed my fucking arm!" He wasn't sure he could cure that...

Turning manic eyes from the no longer working limb to her, he added, "I wasn't threatening Chicago, you idiotic cow. I was threatening the sodding ssunflower. It was putting out roots to the next container over, so I told it to stop or I'd deadhead it."

Fuck it. He wasn't going to just take this anymore, gun or no gun. The second she raised it again, she was going to get a faceful of claws. He might only have one working set, but Chicago had four.

Hating that he had to invoke the kid, Crowley said, "Now put her down or Adam hears about this little situation."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War kept still as she thought swiftly. Clearly, she had the demon in a fix, if he was having to call on Adam; equally clearly, Adam wouldn't be impressed by the situation - even if she hadn't actually hurt the demon, he had told her not to cause trouble, and if the root story was true - what did she know about plants? - then he wasn't likely to be impressed by her attempts to defend the cat. Loki might have asked her to defend the animal, but she was fairly sure he didn't intend her to get thrown out the Manor doing it - maybe when he was well he'd be up to double bluffing her like that, but at the moment he really wasn't up to it. Besides, she didn't want to get thrown out the Manor, and ever since the barbecue that seemed to be what she'd brought herself to.

"Alright," she said reluctantly, her lps narrowed, "I'll put the cat down. But you're not to reach out for her, she stays by me 'til this is sorted. I'll put the gun down too, and we can talk. Agreed?" Even without a weapon in her hand, War would hardly be defenceless.

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

Crowley gritted his teeth. "I don't see how I can reach out for her with a dead arm," he snarled, "but I won't. I can't guarantee she'll stay by you, though. She's a fucking cat. She does what she wants."

He was fully aware that by putting Chicago down, War would have two free arms and would be even better placed to harm him, but he might have to go back Down Below for a new body anyway - he didn't realize the arm thing was only temporary - so it was worth the risk.

"All right. Agreed. You put her down and the gun; I won't reach for either, and we'll talk."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you're getting tetchy about," she said flippantly, as she bent down and put down first the gun, gently, then the cat, pursing her lips as she hooked the claws out of her sleeve. She set the animal down behind her feet, and gave her a pointed look.

"That way," she said, gesturing towards the garden behind her, "is a good way to go. The other way is not." She wasn't sure the cat would listen, but it was worth a try. As an afterthought, she added, "The garden has rabbits in it, if you feel like sticking those claws into something."

Stretching out and leaning against the door frame, she looked straight across at Crowley. "So. I don't care if you say you were just threatening plants. I was asked to make sure that the cat stayed safe, because someone didn't trust you to look after her. I've been watching you, and I didn't intervene, even though I could have done, not until I heard threats. You've hardly been in a brilliant position to take care of her, though."

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

"You kidnapped my cat, made me nauseous, and my arm doesn't work! I'm way past tetchy."

Giving War a final swipe to the shins, Chicago ran directly over to Crowley, standing by his ankles, but not actually touching him. She sat alertly and trained yellow eyes unblinkingly on the woman. The demon made no move to touch her. The cat relatively safe, he had a moment to think and finally put two and two together.

"'Someone' doesn't trust me to take care of her? Would this someone be a rat bastard arsehole with no fucking clue what he's talking about and goes by the name Loki? Well you can tell that slimy twat that I've never neglected her. If I'm not around, John, Ellie, or Adam cares for her. And how the fuck do you know what position I've been in anyway? Have you been following me to make sure I don't starve her or something? Did you ever think to, oh, I don't know, look at her?"

Chicago was sleek, well groomed, and bright eyed. She certainly didn't look neglected.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"Like I said, Crowley, I was asked to watch - and like I also said, I'm not telling you who - or what - asked me to do that."

War's eyes flashed orange. Though she knew she wasn't in any particular danger - the cat had stopped sratching her, and the demon didn't really seem in much of a state to do anything - she also knew that the effects of the Doctor's gun would wear off before too long, and then she - or Loki, vulnerable in the hospital - could be at risk. She decided that as soon as this was over, she ought to get back there to watch, ready to protect him in case Crowley decided to pay him a visit.

"She may look OK, but we both know that appearances can be deceiving." War narrowed her eyes. "You've hardly been entirely together the past few months, have you? Even if other people look after her, she's still your cat, which means you're meant to care about her - not lurch around snogging men, disappearing off and coming back a mess then hiding in John's room before having a row with your ex-boyfriend - not to mention drowning your sorrows in alcohol, and I can't say much for your choice of drinking companion either!" she finished, with the last of her breath.

"What happened, Crowley? I'll admit, I used to find you on the obnoxious side, all smooth and smarmy, but this... you're all over the place. You think she - or anyone else here - doesn't notice?"

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

Crowley gaped at her a long moment, entirely unable to speak. When he did get his voice back, he managed, "Fuck you, Red. The way I manage my life, choose the people I spend time with, and care for my cat is none of your damn business or anyone else's." Too angry to argue, he simply turned and started walking for the greenhouse door. As far as he was concerned, this conversation was over.

"Come, Chicago." She quickly ran in front of him like a little guard. If a cat could be said to have any expression at all, Chicago looked more proud than cowed.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War put one hand on her hip and stared hard at the demon as he walked towards her, leaning against the door frame.

"None of my business, maybe, but don't think that what you do has no effect on anyone else, even if they're not directly concerned by it."

Now silent, she pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes, her mind spinning the conversation over and over in her head.

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

"Like I don't know," he retorted bitterly, almost beyond hearing, and was gone from sight.