It is, indeed, absinthe. And the spoon, indeed, is silver.
And then there's someone in the chair, a knotted muscular figure eight feet in height and almost twice as broad as a normal human form, clad in thick black leather and an opaque helmet of black glass with horns rising from its temples.
Zir voice is a staticky growl, polyphonic and distorted.
YOU HAVE HEARD OF ME AND FELT MY PRESENCE. I AM THE ADVERSARY, THE LORD OF THE MATERIAL REALM, THE GREAT DRAGON, SON OF THE DAWN, ACCUSER, DECEIVER, THE REBEL, THE TEMPTRESS. I AM THE WEIGHT OF CHAIN AT THE BOTTOM OF EVERY HEART. CALL ME MALBOLGE.
Mind, the panic is internal, he's working quite hard to not let a bit of it appear on his face but hell, if this is the devil well, no doubt they're already well aware.
"Always imagined you'd be a touch ruddier in the face, mate, tell you what those bible pictures have you all wrong."
IS HE IN HELL DID HE DIE-
"I've a thought, most people don't usually stumble across you unless something rather significant has happened, and I don't quite feel like I've reached the physical state necessary to be having this conversation with you."
I AM GREATER THAN I AM IMAGINED TO BE. YOU HAVE BEEN SUMMONED TO SERVE ME. WHEN ALL THE STARS SHINE AT MY COMMAND, I WILL GRANT YOU DOMINION OVER A WORLD OF YOUR CHOOSING.
"You're also imagined to be something of a fibber as well. Be it far from me to accuse you of course, but it's a smudge on your otherwise impeccable record."
"Well see we've come to a bit of an impasse then, because I cannot promise obedience if the proof doesn't prove what I need to know. But you can't offer proof unless I promise obedience.
What's a man to do about that then?"
Well.
"If you're The Devil in all their flame and glory, you'd know some things most oughtent aye? Shouldn't take a lot of energy to state a thing I'd know that no one else would be aware of now would it? Tell you what."
The pirate boldly went to try and snatch up the reservoir for a drink.
"You do somethin' only The Devil can do, tell me a thing about me that no one else would know. I'll be the happiest cabin boy you ever met, sound good?"
YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS IS WHAT YOU FEEL FOR WILLIAM AND ELIZABETH TURNER. I COULD THREATEN THEM TO GAIN YOUR COMPLIANCE, BUT YOU WOULD BE HEADSTRONG AND UNWILLING. INSTEAD I OFFER YOU SUFFICIENT POWER TO NEVER BE CONCERNED FOR THEIR WELL-BEING AGAIN. WILL THIS SUFFICE, PIRATE?
THEN BEFORE I SEND YOU FORTH I WILL ARM YOU WITH ONE SECRET OF EQUAL VALUE. IN THE TIME TO COME, YOU WILL GAIN POWERS, AS YOUR TRAVELING COMPANIONS DO. WE DO NOT GRANT POWER OVER OUR HOME. YOU TAKE IT, AND WE COULD NOT WREST IT BACK IF IT PLEASED US TO WITHOUT BREAKING YOUR MINDS INTO RUBBLE ONCE MORE. YOU ARE MY ONLY OBEDIENT SERVANT, AND THEREFORE THE ONLY ONE OF YOUR KIND WHO KNOWS THIS. SPEND SUCH COIN WISELY.
Honestly, despite being referred to as 'obedient servant', the idea that he now knows something that no one else does is pretty nice. Nice enough for him to silence the desire to start carrying on about servitude.
YOUR MISSION IS TO SPREAD MY INFLUENCE WHEREVER YOU TRAVEL. BE DECEPTIVE. REBELLIOUS AGAINST AUTHORITY. GREEDY. LUSTFUL. PROUD. PASSIONATE. FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCTS. GIVE INTO YOUR VICES. SEEK PLEASURE. TEMPT OTHERS. I BELIEVE YOU WILL FIND THIS AGREEABLE TO YOU.
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And then there's someone in the chair, a knotted muscular figure eight feet in height and almost twice as broad as a normal human form, clad in thick black leather and an opaque helmet of black glass with horns rising from its temples.
Zir voice is a staticky growl, polyphonic and distorted.
THAT IS THE IDEA.
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Jack leaps a good foot, hops back, and quickly remembers there's no immediate way out of the room.
Well.
... Shit.
"... You've got somethin' on your..." Never mind.
"Have we met? I've got an inkling I should be aware of you."
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Mind, the panic is internal, he's working quite hard to not let a bit of it appear on his face but hell, if this is the devil well, no doubt they're already well aware.
"Always imagined you'd be a touch ruddier in the face, mate, tell you what those bible pictures have you all wrong."
IS HE IN HELL DID HE DIE-
"I've a thought, most people don't usually stumble across you unless something rather significant has happened, and I don't quite feel like I've reached the physical state necessary to be having this conversation with you."
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"You're also imagined to be something of a fibber as well. Be it far from me to accuse you of course, but it's a smudge on your otherwise impeccable record."
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What's a man to do about that then?"
Well.
"If you're The Devil in all their flame and glory, you'd know some things most oughtent aye? Shouldn't take a lot of energy to state a thing I'd know that no one else would be aware of now would it? Tell you what."
The pirate boldly went to try and snatch up the reservoir for a drink.
"You do somethin' only The Devil can do, tell me a thing about me that no one else would know. I'll be the happiest cabin boy you ever met, sound good?"
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Fuck.
Okay.
"... Alright, so I guess best two out of three isn't going to work in this case."
Shit.
The absinthe is put down, the pirate sullen.
"... Aye. Aye that'll suffice."
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How special.
Honestly, despite being referred to as 'obedient servant', the idea that he now knows something that no one else does is pretty nice. Nice enough for him to silence the desire to start carrying on about servitude.
He'll work on that.
"Aye, consider it noted and saved, sir."
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That smile is getting bigger with every second.
Of course, Jack isn't stupid, and there's some learned part of his brain currently popping off about how it's the Devil but.
It's stamped out.
This is all deeply agreeable.
"Aye, 'tis beyond a shadow of a doubt, consider me your finest soldier."
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Which is when Jack finds himself abruptly in a big wooden horse.