Feb. Catch All

[serpentinthegarden]

Who: Crowley and OPEN
What: Feb. Goings On
When: February 9 - 13 - He will be out on the 14th don't wait up
Where: Around New York
Warnings:


Sweethearts

No.

No matter how many times Fell, or Ellie, or... Alec, was that really his style(?), set out those horrible chalky sweets he wasn't going to eat any of them. Instead he set about leaving any of the boxes he found out for other people.

Old lady passing by – He dropped one into her purse.
Co-worker he was yelling at for dropping an expensive orchid – He got a bonus box of hearts confusing the 'be careful' message.
Some one walking by with a boring looking cupcake? – He would suggest decorating it with some hearts.
Crying kid on the sidewalk? – Here have some candy... And don't tell your mum who gave it to you. This is New York and he wasn't up for being questioned by a suspicious cop.
Sour tea he was sharing with a friend? – Well a few hearts dropped into the brew would sweeten it up.

So while Anthony wasn't partaking in any himself he could be a likely catalyst for your own character to have a few.

Hunting for Gangsters - Failed

Anthony had first heard of the place in that movie, the Wolf of Wall Street, but apparently it had once been a classic mob hangout hosting such influential villains as Lucky Luciano and John Gotti. Rao's seemed the perfect place one might fall in with the 'wrong sort' of crowd... And maybe it would have been fifty years ago. Today it was just a nice Italian restaurant where Anthony had himself a Skillet Lasagna and picked up a pasta gift basket for Fell.

It included two aprons, three 24 oz. jars of Rao’s Homemade Sauce (Marinara, Tomato Basil, and Arrabbiata) and two 16 oz. Spaghettis so you could make a delicious Rao’s Homemade meal together anytime.
It was Love at first bite! Or so it was claimed. He would put that to the test later.
His next stop on his gangster hunt was Robert's Lounge. It was supposed to be the most happening mobster bar in the entire city... But now it was the back parking lot of a run down looking building. Another bust.

The Triangle Social Club, the last great mobster social club, was now the Sullivan Street Tea & Spice Company. Nothing to see here but he did end up buying a few brands of exotic tea flavors, a few spicy ones he thought Fell would care for, some of the blander variety for Alec, and a few of the sweeter ones for Ellie.

He would end up sitting on a bench in the middle of Central Park with his bag of goodies by his side and a dejected frown that even feeding the ducks couldn't cure. His 'find the bad guys' outing had turned into nothing more than a shopping trip!

Upcoming Valentine's Day Woes

Anthony stared long and hard at the card sitting on the shelf of his local food and such store. Be an Angel, Say you are mine.

Was that too much? Too vintage? Too quick? Slow as Hell.... Was a card even appropriate or should he get sappy and try to write something?
What does one do on your first Valentine's Day with a literal angel!!

As Anthony stood there overthinking things he was clearly open to suggestions.

Comments

Woes

[darkenedmoon]

It wasn't as if Yotsuyu was having an easy time herself--at least to judge by the scowl on her face. One, what did you get a man who could buy himself anything he chose? Two, cards? She'd never thought of herself as one who gave out things casually. She had a hard enough time choosing birthday cards for people she loved, much less someone she...

Seven hells, she wasn't even sure how to classify any of this?

"Bloody overrated holiday," she grumbled, glancing up at Crowley with her lips thinned. It wasn't his fault, no, but by the look on his face, he probably could commiserate.

[serpentinthegarden]

"It's not like Halloween... At least there are costumes, wild parties."

He sulked at a particularly sappy looking card but didn't dare touch it just in case it might have encouraged some of that glitter to rub off on him.

"This is all lace, hearts and pink. And what sort of card should you get for a guy who means more to you than lame paper anyway? Candy makes sense, I can get behind candy, but a card... Is it a requirement? Can't you just skip the card in favor of something else?"

[darkenedmoon]

"Oh, there are potential costumes and wild parties, but..." Yotsuyu sniffed primly. Like as not, she wouldn't be caught dead at something like that.

"I suppose, but I'd pity someone bringing me flowers. Now, chocolates, perhaps..." Yotsuyu did have a rather large sweet tooth, as those went. "Or jewelry." But she was well aware that her tastes ran to the expensive, as well, and for all her hauteur, she didn't expect anyone to be a mind reader.

"They do make nice bouquets at this time of year, though, I suppose." Although she much favored red over pink. Ugh, how insipid.

[serpentinthegarden]

"What do people go dressed as, cupids?"

Maybe in collage Anthony decided but in his circles he hadn't heard of the wild Valentine's day bash. Several bars had made special drinks or meals meant to encourage couples to stop by, but he couldn't think of a single one doing a costume party. Were there actually bars out there wilder than the ones he knew?

"If I did go with flowers I would put together my own arrangement."

Roses naturally, maybe a few bachelor buttons as they reminded him of Fell's bowties... plaid paper. Angel did have a thing for plaid.

"Might be early for any jewelry."

[darkenedmoon]

"Oh, I'll be damned if I know, I never bothered with such ridiculousness!" No, parties weren't for her. Nor would her late, unlamented husband ever bother with taking her out anywhere on the town to show he cared. Mostly because he didn't.

This was honestly not a holiday she'd be caught dead celebrating, if she could help it. Elliott could handle himself if he needed to. She'd buy herself a bottle of champagne and stay in. Save for this year, she couldn't.

Damn it.

"I don't know how to even say 'I like you' properly. Never mind the 'more than I probably should' part," Yotsuyu groused.

[serpentinthegarden]

"Couldn't you just say, I like you? Or is that too Middle School?"

Or awkward. It did feel a little awkward to actually say something like that out loud.

"Might be easier just t do something thoughtful for this person you like. Then you wouldn't actually have to say anything... And they could work it out for themselves."

Woes as wells

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Ugh, where's the card that says, 'I know you got commitment issues but this is a cool thing we've got going' and makes it classy?"

Maybe a rich famous guy like Jecht could get someone to buy a card, but that's not how he rolled... plus 'Tsu'd fillet him if he gave her a card he didn't pick out himself. So here he was, a winter hat hiding his distinctive hair and a coat kinda making him less noticeable, trying to find something that worked in a quieter venue.

"Hey, anything over there that doesn't suck?"

[serpentinthegarden]

"No."

His answer was very pat as there clearly was nothing over here that didn't suck as they were all sappy and practically dripping in 'marry me now' which didn't fit commitment issues at all. There was however that one aloof nearly cool, or as cool as these sorts of cards ever got, one that he reached out to snag. This card was simply held up for the other shopper to see.

"You have anything over on that side that would suit an angel without laying too heavily into the roses are red?"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Heh, I'm trying to find something for a demon!" Not literally -- and Jecht was too resistant to this whole 'other worlds' thing to suspect the guy meant a literal freaking angel. "And that card looks great."

Yup, that was a winner for sure. 'Tsu'd love it. Or tolerate it, which for her was basically loving it. So Jecht turned his attention back to the ones on his side.

"Partner or potential?"

[serpentinthegarden]

"A demon?"

This perked his interest as he had thought he was the only one. But... the guy likely meant it figuratively. What were the chances this were an actual demon?

Anyway there was that question to ponder. Partner sounded so not 'two immortal beings constantly drawn to each other' but the situation was a good deal more than 'potential' at this point so...

"Partner. We've been dating, spending time at each other's flats," And he added the kicker which meant it had to be love, "Enjoying crepes. They have a card like that?"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Heh, I should call her that directly, she'd probably love it." Hmm, hmm. Jecht thumbed through a couple cards, then tugged one out.

"This too on-the-nose?"

[serpentinthegarden]

"Who are we talking about here?"

Not that he was likely to know this demonic lady. New York was a huge place, what were the odds he would actually know her? But... he had asked all the same. It was like a reflex.

In answer to the question Crowley merely held up the card he was already thinking about buying. It was very on the nose.

"Maybe I should be looking at something with one of those cheesy poems on it?"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Jecht shot him a thumbs-up. "The way I figure it, go heavy on the cheese. If you're gettin' someone a card, lean into it! If they laugh you got what you wanted, right?"

[serpentinthegarden]

"A laugh? I'm not going for a laugh..."

That was making him reconsider the whole card thing entirely.

"I was going more for weak in the knees, can't do without you, get over here you charming demon and kiss me silly."

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Jecht burst into laughter, leaning over to prop himself up with a hand on his knee.

"You ain't gonna do that with just a card! They're corny and jokey! You gotta come up with your own words for that. Even a dunce likes me knows that. Heh."

Getting himself under control, Jecht straightened up, then flapped the card he was holding. "You wanna do that, you get a generic thing that just says 'Happy Valentine's' or whatever on the front, then pour out your heart on the inside."

[serpentinthegarden]

Anthony's nose scrunched and his head bounced mockingly at Jecht's laughter. Was it really so weird to think a card might have been that well written? None of the ones he had found had been... But there might have been one in there somewhere.

He folded up the angel card and slid it back into a place on the rack which was not where it had originally come from but who could be bothered to search all over for the place it was actually meant to be?

"I'm not sure I would be any good at pouring my heart out."

But saying that he didn't move away from the stack of cards.

"See any without glitter? Glitter is for pranks, not for serious confessions."

Valentine Woes

[phdmotherfucker]

"How can there be hundreds of options and none of them right?" Harleen huffed in frustration as she checked each and every card on display.

Maybe she should have had a little more foresight than to break off her engagement right before Valentine's Day. Sure her weird, unwelcome, and painful memory had made her realize that she didn't even much like her fiance, let alone love him, but now she had a fantastic date outfit and no date. The right card wouldn't fix her relationship, but it might at least keep her busy for a night.

[serpentinthegarden]

Anthony looked up from his angel card when he heard the grumbling of one in the same clueless sea of lame pickup lines and red hearts that he was adrift in. His red hair floated up as he peered over the stacks of cards until he found the lady who was bulldozing her way through the card stock.

"I'm pretty sure whoever wrote these has never been in a relationship. What kind you looking for? Mother, kids... fiancée?"

[phdmotherfucker]

"Um. Er." She bites the inside of her mouth as she dithers. "I'm looking for something that says, like. I don't regret walking out on you and I definitely do not want to get back together but in hindsight I should have waited until after Valentine's Day, and we can still have sex if that is something you are open to."

She frowns. "Okay, saying all that out loud, I now realize that I am an asshole."

[serpentinthegarden]

His eyes drifted to the rated R card section otherwise known as humor and plucked a card out of the stacks.

"It's close?"

[phdmotherfucker]

She laughed a little too loud and covered her mouth with her hand.

"God. I'd honestly be tempted, if he had any sense of humor at all."

[serpentinthegarden]

"Is there any chance, at all, in you two getting back together?"

It didn't sound like there was to him but humans could surprise you! His head tilted as the card was held out for her consideration.

"Send it anyway. Either it makes the break up set in cement or he has a good laugh."

[phdmotherfucker]

She shook her head firmly, although her expression was a little unsure.

"Well... Maybe I could send it anonymously."

[serpentinthegarden]

"Up to you."

He certainly wasn't going to twist her arm over it. Anthony just sank back into the aisle of cards with an evil laugh.

"I think it's a pretty damn funny idea!"

[phdmotherfucker]

"It is kind of funny."

She took the card and looked it over carefully before dropping it in her basket.

"I'll get it just in case. But if I send it and it blows up in my face, I'm pinning the entire thing on you."