17: This is even better than reality TV.

[scaresplants]

[There's the sound of laughter. It's not exactly happy laughter, or the type of laughter that you have when somebody tells you a really funny story. In fact, it seems to have reached the point where it is exactly directed at everyone else.]

[The screen finally turns on, showing a particular demon grinning at the camera in the tidy location of  a bar. Anthony J. Crowley is laughing at your misfortune, Vatheonites.]

Wow. Wow, this curse is priceless, isn't it? Just seeing all you people squirm when the truth is out...really, you make it easy to tell which confessions are the truth and which are not based on your reactions.

Ooh, and we've got some love confessions in there too! I have to say, watching all of these love triangles and squares and other polygonal figures is probably the best entertainment that I've had in the last several years.

[He snickers slightly, before taking a sip of wine.] And count my lucky stars, I honestly think the curse has passed over me. Haven't had the need to confess anything the last couple of days. Finally this place does something right.

[A pause as his smile widens.] So, don't be shy. Let all your secrets out to me. I'll have you know that I'm actually a pretty honest guy.

[...Wait a second. For a brief second, his smile falters. That wasn't exactly what he was meaning to say. But the smile is back as if nothing happened. Crowley is a pretty hard guy to read, after all.]

So, how about it?

Comments

[not_heavens_adam]

Maybe you're waiting for a love confession from me~

[He's amused too, but thankful he's been skipped over...apparently.]

[scaresplants]

[GO AWAY HE DOESN'T NEED YOU AROUND]

I think you made your love confession rather apparent when you started stalking me, Johnny.

[not_heavens_adam]

[WHATEVER. YOU WANT HIM IN YOUR LIFE ALWAYS.]

I'm not stalking you, Crow~ley! I could if you wanted me too~

But this city's only so big; running into each other is practically guaranteed.

[bestestfurrend]

Why would people want to tell those things to a purrfect stranger, curse or not?! It's not furry nice to try to make them either, nuh uh.

[scaresplants]

[GRIN GRIN GRINNNN]

It's better than telling someone who knows you well and is much more likely to react badly, isn't it?

[bestestfurrend]

[No grinning here, Nepeta doesn't approve of this, mister.]

I don't think so! It's better not to tell anyone at all if pawsibble and people you know are purrobably better than strangers anyway beclaws you don't know what strangers will do with the information!

[video]

[hexywitch]

[Lily smiles.]

Crowley. I haven't talked to you in ages.

[video]

[scaresplants]

Lily?

[WHOAH BLAST FROM THE PAST]

I haven't seen you in quite a while. Where have you been?

[video]

[hexywitch]

That's me. It seems we go several months without seeing one another between brief conversations. But you were still the very first person I met here, and I think of you often.

I've been here, the whole time. My boyfriend left the bubble and came back a husband and father. Some time after my son showed up at seventeen. He's gone now, though. And my best friend is here, too. He's thirty-nine.

You?

[Video]

[angelphones]

I don't think that's a very tempting offer, Crowley. It's not like I'm going to confess that I -

[Brb hands over mouth.]

[Video]

[scaresplants]

Now, now, let it out! Don't be shy.

[CAN YOU RESIST THIS FACE?]

[redcloakedthief]

You're a pretty honest guy and I'm only pretending to be a thief.

Heh! This curse is interesting.

[scaresplants]

[LITTLE DO YOU KNOW, MATTHEW. He is a demon of his word, after all.]

It is. You find so many interesting things through this, don't you?

[modernholmes]

That doesn't sound helpful at all.

[scaresplants]

Why not? Haven't you ever heard of the phrase "to lend an ear"? That's what I'm doing for all of you- you should be thanking me.

[brbstealingpknm]

I doubt that anyone's gotten out of this scott free.

Nice guy, huh?

[scaresplants]

Oh, some have. Like me.

Usually, if I was a nice guy, then you would be the Prime Minister of England. But I've made an exception for this curse. I just want to help people out, you know?

[LIESSSSS]

[Voice]

[ashihara]

And why should I trust you?

[Video]

[scaresplants]

Because I'm a stranger and far less likely to tell all your secrets than somebody who knows you well. I mean, they could say that they'll keep it secret, but believe me, I've seen family members blather about secrets like nothing else when prompted.

But me? I'm impersonal. I'm like your local bank of secrets. It doesn't matter to me whether you like girls or you have a crush on some guy or stole ten million dollars from a king back home. It's all talk to me.

[Except not really.]

[knightime]

Pretty honest guy huh?

Color me surprised with your get-up. Kind of exude the douchebag aura and shit.

[scaresplants]

[Crowley gives a wry grin, looking ever so amused while his voice drips with sarcasm.]

Oh my, I had absolutely no idea. It's like I chose the clothes without thinking about them. Whatever shall I do now? Everybody is going to think I'm a jerk based on what I'm wearing.

[A laugh.] No kidding, Sherlock Holmes.

[Video]

[closedcircuit]

I'm not sure that garnering amusement from other people's distress is a very 'honest' thing to do.

Besides, I've never been in love.

[Video]

[scaresplants]

Hey, I told you what I was going to do before I did it. I'd say that's pretty honest.

And, really? Ooh, how sad. Tell me more.

[Video]

[sandvich_good]

Do not understand why you wish to know such things. What interest does it have to you?

[Video]

[scaresplants]

Because it's interesting. People are interesting. It's the way it is.