The Devil's Nest, Monday, August 1, 2022

[texted3times]

What was another 20 years when you were a vampire?

Aside from Tiny quitting to join a Stevie Nicks cult for a few years, Eric getting involved with some kind of werewolf problem, then a witch problem, then another damn werewolf problem--and Lucifer fucking of to the Bahamas--Eric'd had a quiet few decades.

And he wasn't interested in rehashing it or hearing anyone else whine about their future.

Thus the "STRONG DRINKS" special tonight and the added "STRONGER IF YOU DON'T SHARE ABOUT ANYTHING" note attached.

The Devil's Nest was open, and anti-social, if a bar could be anti-social.

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

Look, Marc had been holding off on this the entire freaking weekend. Steven had the morning, Marc was taking night.

Marc made himself comfortable at the bar and pointed to the "STRONG DRINKS" sign when he thought Tony was looking in his direction. "That one."

[texted3times]

Tiny nodded silently, found a solidly middle-of-the-road alcohol and poured Marc a double.

Eric gave him a nod from his spot in the lounge.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc tipped extra well for Tiny's initiative with the double, then wandered over to the lounge with his drink in hand. "Don't tell me you need a hug."

Marc's tone made it clear he wasn't offering one. Also he'd read the sign, he was assuming even if the answer was yes Eric would still say no.

[texted3times]

Eric snorted. "I never need a hug."

[hasaknightjob]

"I'll drink to that," Marc said, doing that very thing. "No wonder you work a bar. Shit like this weekend must be a license to print money for anyplace that sells drinks."

[texted3times]

"At least a couple times a year," Eric agreed with a toothy smile.

[hasaknightjob]

"Is it scheduled?" Marc asked. Because he had no problem scheduling some vacations in advance if he needed. (Ignore how he knew that being away from the island wasn't a guaranteed escape from the fuckery.)

[texted3times]

"Not as far as I've seen and I've been here for a while," Eric admitted, "but something weird generally happens at the end of each semester."

[hasaknightjob]

"So end of the month too?" Marc asked, just to see if he got it right.

[texted3times]

"Generally," Eric said, nodding. "One year we had a hurricane made out of sharks."

[hasaknightjob]

"I mean that sounds kind of cool," Marc said. Plus seemed to have a much lesser chance of forcing people to confront their feelings.

[texted3times]

"Well, it crushed the bar roof," Eric said, "and 'act of shark' was a hard sell to the insurance company.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc looked up to see if he could notice any of the repairs. He couldn't, but then again it wasn't like he was a roofer who knew what to look for. "Sounds like an untapped market. Insurance for bullshit."

Probably not a great market, considering how often they'd have to pay out in Fandom.

[texted3times]

Eric laughed. "Oh, we have an almost endless supply of it here. So this sort of weekend is good for profits and doesn't cause structural issues."

[hasaknightjob]

"The shrink must make a killing as well," Marc said, wholly unaware of how much of a pun that was.

[texted3times]

"Oh, that would mean the people here are that mentally healthy," Eric said with a grin.

[hasaknightjob]

"Thought it was the crazy people who were supposed to go see a shrink," Marc said. Though ignore how Marc wasn't signing up for appointments for himself any time soon. Or ever.

[texted3times]

"Probably," Eric said, "but they have to realize they need it."

[hasaknightjob]

"Or think it's not a waste of time," Marc pointed out. No prize for guessing which category he was in.

[texted3times]

"Behold, the reason I never go," Eric said, saluting him with his vodka.

[hasaknightjob]

"I'll drink to that," Marc said, saluting in turn.

[texted3times]

"And if it's in a self-medicating way, I don't give a shit," Eric said cheerfully.