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Crowley, Demon (the) [SPN-verse] (kingofthexroads) wrote in utr_logs,
@ 2010-07-24 20:49:00

Entry tags:

catherine chabatier, demon crowley

Who: Crowley & Catherine
Where: Swanky London Bar.
When: Right about now.
Warnings: Probably none. But maybe.

Crowley was, surprisingly, still having a good deal of fun with getting back to his roots, working as a traveling salesman, following the county and state fair circuit all across the American mid-west and deep south. He was still living in Venice, but he hadn't been back to London in a while, and with Lo working that night it left him with some free time.

So he'd done what any self-respecting businessman would do, he went to the pub for a drink. At that particular moment he was perched near the end of the bar, just studying the patrons, possibly sussing out new clients, but it was an idle habit, not something he was likely to follow through on while he was relaxing.

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chabatier
2010-07-25 04:28 am UTC (link)

Catherine had just arrived back in London from her sojourn at Radek, and still frankly missing the food. Such well chosen courses. But for now, perhaps, some good dry wine would do the trick.

She sat at the only open seat at the bar, the one closest to the wall, ordering the driest red they had. Only belatedly did she turn to the person on her right - a shortish, slightly balding bloke - and give her most charming smile. "I should've asked if this seat was taken." She did hope he said it wasn't; he looked like he'd be far too mealy to be satisfying, especially after the feast at Radek.

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	kingofthexroads 2010-07-25 06:24 am UTC (link)
	Crowley's smile was equally charming, lifting his glass in an almost salute, shaking his head, "Not until now, dove. Help yourself." Crowley liked to think he was good at reading people, and he could tell that she was probably not a potential client, she was too sure of herself for that. (Reply to this)

	chabatier 2010-07-25 06:32 am UTC (link)
	Oh, good. Catherine inclined her head, crossing her legs as she sat on the stool. She stopped and blinked It sounded odd, but he didn't smell human. Was he one of hers? She was curious. "Mm. Fancy that, a local." At least he sounded like a Brit. Damn, why had she decided to wear professional dress to go to Radek? Cleavage was a nice weapon. (Reply to this)

	kingofthexroads 2010-07-25 06:40 am UTC (link)
	He actually smiled at that, one of his rare, almost honest smiles, "Something very like, yes. Though it's been a while since I've been back." He inclined his head, almost a question on its own, "And yourself?" (Reply to this)

	chabatier 2010-07-25 06:46 am UTC (link)
	"Born in France, but I've lived here so long I'm English." It was the truth, actually. She just didn't mention that she'd been born in France in 1901. She did stick out a hand, though. "Catherine." If he was a local, he might know her name, and that wouldn't do at the moment. She didn't feel like talking business. (Reply to this)

	kingofthexroads 2010-07-25 06:50 am UTC (link)
	He accepted the handshake easily, inclining his head once more, "Alexander." It was his favorite alias, really, because that was the first Crowley that people thought of anyway when he gave his real name, "Lovely country, France, haven't been there in a while either." (Reply to this)

chabatier
2010-07-25 06:55 am UTC (link)

What could she tell from this? He was English or a born actor, he was modern enough to not kiss her hand, and he wasn't really looking at her. Was he nervous? Distracted? He could have just been an average bloke, but something about that scent made her uncomfortable. It was familiar, almost.

She recrossed her legs, nodding her thanks to the server as her wine arrived. "My family's from Pau, in the south, near Spain. Sometimes I think I'd rather be French." It was light enough in here that she figured she'd best be careful about showing her teeth, so she merely smiled with her lips still closed.

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	kingofthexroads 2010-07-25 07:00 am UTC (link)
	"So, what brings you to a place like this tonight? Business or pleasure?" There was something off about her, though not enough that he could pin it down. If Pup had been there he would have known, but as it was, he was going to enjoy poking around to see if he could find out. (Reply to this)

chabatier
2010-07-25 07:05 am UTC (link)

"Getting decent food and wine." She chuckled. "I just returned from a business trip, and there's bugger-all in my flat." She took a sip of the wine and almost shuddered from how good it felt. A good red really was a close substitute for blood on short notice. It might get her through the night. She didn't really care if he noticed; he'd just think her a bit fond of drink, if he was as stupid as most mortals. "Yourself?" Now was one of the times that being able to read thoughts would have come in handy, but that was vampires in fiction only, alas.

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kingofthexroads
2010-07-25 07:10 am UTC (link)

"About the same." He said with another tilt of his glass, "Just got off work myself, partner's still got..." He paused, checking his watch, "Another few hours and as much as I like the new place, I'd rather not have it to myself just yet."

He chuckled, shaking his head, "Which is probably far too much information, I apologize." Sometimes he did that, just gave an unwarranted infodump.

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	chabatier 2010-07-25 07:15 am UTC (link)
	Well, that answered part of that. Gay men did tend to be unaffected by women's legs. Ah, well. "Not at all. New flats are cumbersome that way. Strange and hard to navigate and if you've someone living with you, they're good to have around." (Reply to this)

	kingofthexroads 2010-07-25 07:19 am UTC (link)
	It was a good thing he didn't strictly have to breathe, because he would have aspirated scotch at that, shaking his head, "Flat, it's a sodding palace." He shook his head, "My own fault, I suppose, shouldn't have told him to just pick a place." (Reply to this)

	chabatier 2010-07-25 07:24 am UTC (link)
	She had to laugh at that. "Clearly you don't live in London. Unless you've rented Apsley House, in which case you're a descendant of the Duke of Wellington, in which case, I'm too bloody tired to curtsy." She had more wine, feeling a bit more refreshed. It wasn't the same, obviously, but it was dry, it was liquid, and it did have some nutrients. (Reply to this)

	kingofthexroads 2010-07-25 07:28 am UTC (link)
	He actually laughed at that as well, it was a rare enough sound, but her laughter was contagious and he shook his head, "No, it's off the Italian coastline." He shrugged, "Needs some work, but that shouldn't take to terribly long." (Reply to this)

	chabatier 2010-07-25 07:32 am UTC (link)
	"Oh, Italy's lovely. Haven't been there in ages myself, but I used to conduct a lot of business in Rome." She almost said in the Fifties, but stopped herself. "I never had the money to have more than one home, until recently." (Reply to this)

	kingofthexroads 2010-07-25 07:35 am UTC (link)
	"It was suggested to me when I first arrived here." He said with a shrug, "I hadn't been in a while and so I went. And now I've yet to leave." (Reply to this)

chabatier
2010-07-25 07:47 am UTC (link)

"A bit nicer than the weather here, I daresay." The scent was still there, underneath the scent of the wine and the unwashed mortals in the room, and finally she just had to ask. "I need to know something. If you'll tell me." Sometimes, if you asked conversationally enough, they just told you. "I have a rather abnormal sense of smell, and I can't shake the scent of ... dust, somehow? Or dirt, or something like that. Do you smell that in here?"

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	kingofthexroads 2010-07-25 03:54 pm UTC (link)
	"Most places have nicer weather than here." He said, smiling faintly once more, only to tilt his head, looking curious and puzzled at the next question, "Can't say that I do." He said, shrugging, "Though I admit my sense of smell isn't much better than the next guy's." That definitely narrowed down the options though, there weren't many things that could smell the Pit on him. (Reply to this)

	chabatier 2010-07-25 09:52 pm UTC (link)
	Catherine shrugged. Fine, if he was going to play it that way. "How odd. Perhaps I've still got the desert in my nose." She chuckled. "I was in North Africa, with everything that implies." It had really been a lovely place to visit; the desert nights were gorgeous and black. She polished off the wineglass, ordering one more. (Reply to this)

	kingofthexroads 2010-07-26 02:25 am UTC (link)
	Crowley wasn't necessarily an inherently cautious individual, but in a world like this, where he couldn't be exactly sure what she was or what she was capable of, he wasn't going to take unnecessary chances, "Haven't been there in a while." Not since he'd first started the job, actually. (Reply to this)

	chabatier 2010-07-26 02:36 am UTC (link)
	"I'd actually never been there before. Been all over Europe, but nothing in Africa. The weather in Egypt and Libya doesn't agree with me, and the attire even less." Sandstorms and head coverings? No thank you. "Still, this was an offer I could not refuse." (Reply to this)

	kingofthexroads 2010-07-26 02:50 am UTC (link)
	There was a browquirk at that particular turn of phrase, though he was smiling faintly all the same, "I should hope that a lady like yourself isn't in trouble with the criminal element." (Reply to this)

chabatier
2010-07-26 02:53 am UTC (link)

Catherine laughed. "Oh, no. Strictly a call I very much wished to pay." She shrugged. "It's usually good form to deal with potential business partners in person, I find." She doubted, actually, that Mephistopheles would have accepted a cancellation, but it was moot, given she'd wanted to go. "To say nothing of the fact that people tend to underestimate a woman." Very stupid, obviously.

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	kingofthexroads 2010-07-26 02:57 am UTC (link)
	"Ah." He said with a nod, "I've always said that people deserve what's coming to them when they go and do something stupid like that." Underestimate women, make deals with demons, the list just went on. (Reply to this)

	chabatier 2010-07-26 03:41 am UTC (link)
	"They usually do." Catherine smiled, uncrossing her legs and going for her handbag. "I'd invite you back to my flat, but firstly, I doubt you keep my hours, secondly, you're taken, thirdly, you're gay. So I'd guess it'd be a rain cheque anyway, yes?" (Reply to this)

	kingofthexroads 2010-07-26 03:49 am UTC (link)
	He laughed again, it wasn't often, at all, that someone could get a reaction like that from him more than once, he did, however, incline his head towards a man who he knew for a fact was an investment banker, "That one might be right up your alley." (Reply to this)

	chabatier 2010-07-26 04:01 am UTC (link)
	She appraised him, raising an eyebrow, amused. "Mm. Blue blood. Might be a bit unfulfilling. But one never knows." Catherine fished in her handbag and handed her card to the bloke - Alexander? "My thanks for an amusing diversion, and a pleasant night." (Reply to this)

	kingofthexroads 2010-07-26 04:13 am UTC (link)
	Things had finally clicked into place, or at least, he hoped they had, because if not he was going to sound a little stupid when he added: "And the dinner suggestion, I hope." The card was pocketed, "Have a nice evening, dove." (Reply to this)

	chabatier 2010-07-26 04:17 am UTC (link)
	She just laughed when he put it together; he wasn't going to do anything to her. And he didn't seem afraid. "I intend to. Maybe finally get this fog out of my head." Catherine winked. "You're not one of us, are you? You smell like tomb dust, not blood." (Reply to this)

	$Crowley, Demon (the) [SPN-verse]: :\$ kingofthexroads 2010-07-26 04:18 am UTC (link)
	"Huh, that's a new one." He shrugged, "Not one of you though. Not one of them either." He smiled, wry, amused, his usual smile, really, "Crowley. King of the crossroads." (Reply to this)

	chabatier 2010-07-26 04:31 am UTC (link)
	Pompous title aside, now this made more sense. "Ah, that's what that is." The Pit itself. She might have been afraid on another day, but she'd just come from being the guest of Mephistopheles. "Rather interesting job, that must be." (Reply to this)

	kingofthexroads 2010-07-26 04:33 am UTC (link)
	"It can be." He said with something that was more a nod than a shrug, but was both all the same, "Get to travel a lot." (Reply to this)

	chabatier 2010-07-26 04:53 am UTC (link)
	"I daresay." She folded her arms. "Curiosity. Were you serious about having a place in Italy? I really did live there for a time, it just happened to be in the '50s." He still might be charming company, given he was on the low end of the totem pole. (Reply to this)

	kingofthexroads 2010-07-26 05:00 am UTC (link)
	"Absolutely serious." He tugged his phone out, bringing up the pictures that Lo had sent and sliding it over to her, "That's the place." He shrugged, "I tend to work in North America and live anywhere else, though I believe my house from the Gold Rush has recently been added to a listing of protected historical cites." (Reply to this)

	chabatier 2010-07-26 05:23 am UTC (link)
	Catherine raised an eyebrow. "How lovely. And a trifle familiar." She handed it back to him. "Not in that I've been in there, I doubt it. But the style is familiar and a favourite of mine, as well." Mm. Memories of Rome. Rome had been wonderful until the very, very end. She wondered sometimes if her old bastard of a mentor still lived. (Reply to this)

	kingofthexroads 2010-07-26 05:29 am UTC (link)
	He nodded, tucking his phone away again, "It's old." He shrugged, "And nearly gutted, but that's not much of a problem." After all, he and Lo had similar tastes in furniture. (Reply to this)

	chabatier 2010-07-26 06:00 am UTC (link)
	"Not if you've got money and time, no." She winked. "Or can manage to charm people into doing some of the work." (Reply to this)

	kingofthexroads 2010-07-26 06:05 am UTC (link)
	"Surprisingly enough, we aren't lacking in any of the above." Which amused him to no end, really. (Reply to this)