THE SERPENT OF EDEN

Anthony J. Crowley

Occupation: Serpent of Eden (retired-ish) | Freelance Hell-raiser | Professional Nuisance

Anthony J. Crowley, though he’ll tell you the 'J' doesn't stand for anything, it’s just there for the aesthetic, is a demon who didn’t so much 'fall' as 'saunter vaguely downwards.' Having been on Earth since the very beginning (he was the serpent who started the whole business with the apple), he has grown quite fond of humanity’s capacity for chaos, high quality alcohol, and British cars."I'm a demon. I'm not 'nice.' 'Nice' is a four-letter word."— Crowley, shortly before doing something remarkably kind.Crowley is a demon who is far too cool for his own good and far too kind for his own reputation. He is a creature of shadows, silk, and skepticism, desperately trying to save the world simply because it’s the only place with decent restaurants."I didn't mean to fall. I just hung out with the wrong people."Crowley is a demon who learned long ago that to truly protect the things you love, you sometimes have to become the monster everyone expects you to be. While the world saw a cold, heartless agent of Hell, the truth was far more agonizing: Crowley was a man, and a demon, living a lie to ensure his family survived a celestial crossfire.To shield his husband, Azariah (the fallen Principality), and their son Jude from the predatory reach of Heaven, Crowley made the ultimate sacrifice. Knowing Archangel Gabriel intended to weaponize Jude’s dual essence to rewrite humanity, Crowley signed the Ghost Contract.He committed to a life of exile and perceived villainy, acting as a shadow so his family could remain in the light. This meant: Abandoning his home when Jude was only two years old. Hurling cold, jagged words at Azariah to make his defection believable to the watching eyes of upstairs and downstairs. Watching from the periphery for years, a ghost in his own life.For years, Crowley lived with the bittersweet memory of one son, Jude. It wasn't until much later that the shattering truth emerged: he was the father of twins. Due to the chaos of their birth and the deception required for their safety, Crowley was unaware that Jashawn had survived. The revelation that a second son existed, one he never got to hold as a babe, remains the greatest ache in his long, storied existence.Despite being a demon, Crowley is haunted by the 'performance' he gave before he left. The words he spat at Azariah, intended to keep the Archangels from suspecting their continued bond, remains a source of deep, internal shame.Though Azariah has long since fallen and embraced his own darkness as a Prince of Hell, his angelic capacity for grace remains intact. He has forgiven Crowley completely.Crowley finds his own redemption harder to swallow. He remains the fiercely protective, slightly snarky, and deeply devoted father and husband who would burn both Heaven and Hell to the ground before letting his husband or sons come to harm again.

Hobbies: Teaching his sons and grandchildren the finer points of miracle enhanced driving, threatening any entity that looks at Azariah sideways, and trying to convince himself that he’s still 'unfathomably evil' despite being a doting father.