Log:Love Advice from the Devil & Serpent

Love Advice from the Devil & Serpent
Participants Lolly, Zillah, Carter,	18 November, 2019 Lolly is having boyfriend troubles, and Zillah and Carter help her out! Who better to take advice from than a Devil and his Serpent?
Location R02
It's a Sunday night and the mall is close to closing, which means that, of course, the place is packed. After all, Christmas is coming, and pre-pre-pre Black Friday sales are all the rage...       Fluffed up in a puffy down jacket and a knock-off not-really-wool acrylic scarf because hi, soooo not wealthy enough to splurge on real wool after buying a coat like this, Lolly is pacing near the entrance to the restrooms, talking on the phone, free hand covering her other ear. "What do you -mean-, you can't make it?" Silence, during which the floral Spring's expression gets decidedly stormy, eyes narrowing. She snaps a sharp, "Ed! You've canceled trips here -three- times this month. I'm busy! I can't just drive over there ever-" Silence, listening, sharp pivot and pace pace pace. She pauses, expression softening somewhat. "I know your job keeps you busy, too, but--" Silence again, listening again. So much for softening. "Edward Macy Higgins, you--" She pulls the phone away from her ear, then outright yells an irritable, "FLUFF!" and shoves the phone into her pocket. Sometimes, even creatures like Carter and Zillah must brave the mall. It's one of those nights, and judging by the number of bags the Serpent is hauling along, it's not been a wasted trip. Granted, a good number of those are from a high-end shoe store, a lingerie store, and other varied things. She's keeping pace with Carter, mortal eyes treated to the sight of a striking woman in a barely-there skirt, fishnets, knee-high boots with a deadly heel, and a wool coat. She looks, for all purposes, like a callgirl on the Devil's arm. Of course, Lost eyes see the truth of it. "I think that might be all we...is that Lolly?" Zillah's head gives a lift towards "That /should/ be the last of the list, yes." Even over the din of the mall's brimming crowds, Carter Logan's voice slips through the air, deep and rich and sweet and perfect and oh so alluring. The Devil himself is rather more conservatively dressed than his partner, though his coat is open, the jacket of his suit is unbuttoned, and his tie is nearly undone. He's leaning on his cane with his left hand, his right draped around Zillah's shoulders, but even he isn't free of bags. His load is rather lighter than Zee's, but he has a handful hanging from the fingertips curled around that cane, and his movements are slightly more careful than normal to prevent any possible spillage. When Zillah points out Lolly, his slot-pupiled eyes shift over towards the younger Spring courtier, and he flashes a brief smile, lifting his hand from Zillah's shoulder just long enough to offer a greeting wave. "I believe it is," he says. "Shall we go and see what the fuss is about, then?" It isn't really a question; the two of them have, in unison, already shifted, the crowd parting ahead of them as they make their way towards Lolly.       Flushing a becoming shade of rosy green, more green than rose, the herbaceous young woman tries to ignore the looks a few other mall-goers are giving her, and, stamping a foot on the floor in pique, the shorter Spring outright -kicks- the base of the doorframe.       Of course, this predictably results in about as much pain as catharsis...       It's the parting of the crowd which first draws her attention toward Zillah and Carter, and green eyes widen in abrupt dismay. Did they HEAR her? Lolly shuffles a bit farther away from the entrance to the restrooms, getting out of the way, and waits for the two to reach her before mumbling something that's entirely drowned out by the ambient noise and jangling music playing over the speakers. It looked like some sort of greeting, though. They move frighteningly well together, really. One would think it might be otherwise, given the Devil's leg problems and the oozing nature of the Serpent. But unison is something they absolutely manage, without any seeming effort. When some prudish woman sitting in the food court gives them a look of disapproval, there's an absolutely shameless grope of Carter's ass, and she leans in to lick along his jaw. And then feed, on the resulting upkick in emotions about them. "Hello, Lolly," the Serpent absolutely purrs to the blushing Spring, flashing that fanged smile. "What seems to be wrong, dear?" Genuine curiosity, there. Carter doesn't really have a hand free to do much groping, at the moment, given his apparent reluctance to remove his from around Zillah's shoulder. But when she gives him that squeeze, his tail - long, thin, and scaled tonight - moves to coil itself around one of Zillah's thighs, beyond the sight of mortals. His wings, on the other hand, stay folded; for all the room that his Sublime nature affords them, there are a /lot/ of mortals moving around tonight. The strength of his Wyrd, oppressive and impossible to ignore, bears down on the nervous Lolly as he approaches, matching Zillah's smile with one of his own. Definitely fangs there, too, though he doesn't part his lips /quite/ far enough to give a real view of them. He just steps up to the younger Spring, his Mantle a living demonstration of what kind of Spring she hasn't yet achieved. "You do seem irritated," he says, following up on Zillah's comment. Like her, he seems genuinely curious, and, despite his rumpled suit, his composure and perfect politeness are entirely in place. "I take it your phone call didn't go well." Ah. So he /did/ see the end of that.       A teensy bit lovelier, ears beginning to show signs of future pointiness, Lolly's stem-like skin more obviously too smoothly inhuman than the last time they met, and her innate perfume all the more intoxicating. SOMEone has gone up in the world. In the Wyrd, anyway; she sure hasn't gotten a better-paying job. Those are the same clothes she seems to wear all the time for work. Her spine arcs, shoulders hunching forward subtly in subconscious self-protection under the palpable force of -that- much power RIGHT THERE, and, yes, her poor little wildflowers and healing herbs are quite engulfed by Carter's stronger desires, not to mention Zillah's darkness.       "Um." Undergrowth-green eyes widen as she stammers, "I-I was talking to my boyfriend." The reminder stiffens her spine, unease overwhelmed by indignation, and she turns her head to glare down at her phone. "He always makes me drive to see him, but he lives in -Stowe-!" Which is 20 miles away. "What does he think he is? Like, he keeps saying he will, keeps promising, but it has been, like, five -months- since he came here. I can't even count how many times I've had to reschedule appointments, or shifts at the club, or...gah! Because of -him-!" Her voice is getting a bit loud again, and she fists her hands at her sides, though she doesn't look strong enough to do much more than apply a gentle bruise or two. Those shadows reach, hungry things, to crowd those lovely little flowers. Of course, given the proximity of the Devil and his own Mantle, she doesn't quite drown them out completely. "That doesn't sound like an even exchange of effort," Zillah muses, with a little purse of those black lips. Watching the other woman, with those dark eyes. "Broken promises are no way to cement a relationship." Yes, yes, let the emotions flow through you. Yes. She glances over to Carter, as if to get his input on things. Carter's left eyebrow lifts slightly as Lolly speaks, and he shifts slightly to settle more of his weight onto his cane. His expression is the platonic ideal of polite curiosity, edged with just the slightest amount of concern. And, again, there's that strangely perfect unison - when Zillah turns to look at him, he turns to look at her at the same moment, and a brief flash of fangs is visible as he grins at her. "Indeed," he says, looking back to Lolly. "If he demands only that his own needs be met, and refuses to attempt to meet yours, that's hardly a recipe for a long-lasting relationship." A brief pause. "Of the sort that you're likely looking for, at least. Why have you stayed with him this long, if this is a recurring issue? If you don't mind my asking, of course."       Swinging with the best of them, Lolly's mood-pendulum plummets straight toward dejection. "No," she agrees with Zillah. "They're not." Starting to pace again, too restless to stand still, she presses green digits to her cheeks and aaaaarghs. "I should have -known- he was too good to be true! He was so considerate, so kind to me when I was having a difficult time." The Japanese in her accent gets slightly more pronounced the angrier she gets. "He was patient and he didn't mind long distance, and the way he would text me, the things we would talk about, it was...gah!"       Woe. Young love. To be fair, she does look like she's barely 21.       The less Springy of the Springs glares down at the pocket her phone is in, then huffs a grumpy breath. "The sex wasn't even that good. I had to do -every-thing, but he was romantic, and his apologies were beautiful, and who wouldn't want to feel -wanted-?" The exasperated question is, it seems, rhetorical, because she plows on without stopping. "He was supposed to come here for our six-month anniversary. Then the seventh. He never answers my calls, and I don't even know if I love -him- or the thought of him." Pause. "I've been watching Shakespeare movies, like, a lot. And he's not even like we are, so he totally doesn't get, like. Any of it." More woe! A single perfect tear rolls down over one woebegone green cheek, only sliiightly oddly syrupy and viscous. "I think, perhaps, he's no good at all," Zillah murmurs, as she looks to the young Spring. "If he's not willing to put in the effort. Words are lovely things, but they don't mean anything without the actions to back them up." She doesn't quite reach out to pat the girl on her shoulder, but it's there in her voice. "Anyone can write a lovely text and tell someone what they want to hear." She sets her bags down on the ground for the moment, and reaches out to unburden Carter from his, as well. "Now that, that is a true shame," the Serpent says, completely seriously. "No one should ever have to do all of the work. If all Carter did was rest on his back while I rode him to hell and back, well. He'd not be nearly as appealing as he is." She gives a little grin, then falls serious once more. "If you're asking that question of yourself, Lolly dear, then it's probably the idea of him. What's his excuse? You said he lives in Stowe?" "She's right," he says, as he straightens up again. "As usual. I have exceptional difficulty even walking, some days, and yet I still make the journey to Zillah's place, on occasion, rather than demanding her to always come to me. Even if there is genuine difficulty, if he actually returned your - admittedly somewhat confused - feelings, he would be willing to actually act on them." He rubs at one of his thighs for a moment, frowning slightly in apparent discomfort, then continues. "It sounds as though, frankly, he's been using you. Because you /do/ want to feel wanted. But genuine want is always preferable to an affectation of the same, and you're starting to get hungry." He gives a little smile and slips his arm back around Zee's shoulders. "Which is entirely understandable. If he can't supply what you need, you may have to look elsewhere."       "-Exactly-!" Lolly may be naive when it comes to sweetly-spoken words, but afraid of her own wants, no. Fidgeting, the sweetly-scented flower starts to say something, then pauses when the mall's automated closure announcement blares muzak-ally out through the food court's speakers.       Carter's voice is sufficient distraction to keep her focused upon -it- above most else, as always, and she nibbles on her lower lip, frustrated, before huffing out another breath. "He keeps saying he can't come because of his job, because he can't be away for too long, but..." She frowns suddenly, first pensive, then unhappy. "That great fat fibber! Oooooh I'm going to, to do -some-thing. Um." The slowly departing crowds catch her eye, and with a quick blink, the far more human Spring asks, "Do you need any help getting that out to your car?" Zillah's dark eyes study Lolly, as she goes through those varied emotions. "Carter always gives me nothing less than one hundred percent of what he's capable of," she muses, with a wicked and shadowy smile. "Sometimes, twice in a short shopping trip." She'd say more, perhaps. But there's that overhead warning, and a glance upwards. "I think we're fine, carrying this. But we'll drop by, soon. Perhaps without a medical emergency."