The Devil's Nest, Monday, August 15, 2021

[texted3times]

Eric was at the bar tonight, enjoying a Manhattan expertly poured by Tiny and relaxing.

Tiny was creating an elaborate three-dimensional castle made entirely out of cocktail olives in a cabinet under the bar.

Eric was very much ignoring that.

The Devil's Nest was open!

Comments

[pocketpretzels]

"Another planet?" Watts looked at him in confusion. "I've never even left this one." Time traveled via magic train, yes. Gone to another planet? No. "And I got the impression he cared more about violent crimes than lies of omission."

[hasaknightjob]

"Different version of Earth than where we're from," Marc said. "Whatever you want to call it. And yeah, that was the point. You're not exactly criminal of the year."

Marc had obviously not gotten the memo that Watts didn't pick up on jokes easily. In Steven's defense, Marc wasn't exactly known for making jokes often enough for it to have been a concern.

[pocketpretzels]

"Oh," Watts nodded. "A joke. I see it now."

[hasaknightjob]

"I'm hilarious," Marc said. Which, if he was Steven, he would've explained was also a joke. But he wasn't so...

[pocketpretzels]

"I'm sure you must be," Watts said. "But humour is often... lost on me."

[hasaknightjob]

"How's that work with Steven?" Marc asked, genuinely curious since he knew Steven's sense of humor. (Which in and of itself showed how much privacy there was for when Steven and Watts were together.)

[pocketpretzels]

“He has a very particular smile that he uses when joking,” Watts told him. “At least, with me.” He was aware that most other people didn’t need such things telegraphed.

[hasaknightjob]

Normally Marc would've found the idea of someone cataloguing another person's smiles to be a little on the stomach-turning side. But it was about Steven, who deserved somebody who paid that kind of attention, so it got a pass. "There's your problem. I don't smile."

Which went hand in hand with how normally Marc didn't make jokes either.

[pocketpretzels]

“Now that,” Watts said, “I had noticed.”

[hasaknightjob]

"Good way to tell the difference between the two of us, huh?" Marc replied. You know, besides the accents. "Anyway, point being the bike doesn't even register. Not exactly a deal breaker for Steven."

Especially not in comparison to all the things Marc himself had done.

[pocketpretzels]

Well, and Steven already knew what Watts considered one of the worst things he’d done.

“So noted. It was an- embarrassing incident all the same.”

[hasaknightjob]

"You don't know how to ride?" Marc guessed.

[pocketpretzels]

"No," Watts shook his head. "It was more- She was on a cross-country tour when her bicycle was stolen. We got to talking during the course of my investigation and I found I enjoyed her company. I thought that perhaps that would... be enough. So I withheld the fact that I had, in fact, found her stolen bicycle in a pawn shop."

[hasaknightjob]

"What'd she do when she found out?" Marc asked, since he figured ultimately it was her call on how pissed to be about it.

[pocketpretzels]

"Gave me a most disappointed look and reaffirmed her desire to continue her tour," Watts said. "Of course, she then also claimed she'd be willing to return to Toronto afterwards. Though she never did. I imagine upon reflection she grew more displeased with my deception than she had been in the moment. Probably for the best."

[hasaknightjob]

"Cop hiding someone's property doesn't make a great impression," Marc told him, since that wouldn't go over well in modern times either. "But guess you're not complaining now."

[pocketpretzels]

"No, in retrospect it was- a poorly-thought-out impulse," Watts admitted. "And you're right, I'm not."

[hasaknightjob]

"I'd ask how it's going but I already know what he thinks," Marc said.

[pocketpretzels]

“Which is more or less where your investment begins and ends,” Watts replied.

[hasaknightjob]

"How do you mean?" Marc asked.

[pocketpretzels]

“Emotionally, I mean.”

[hasaknightjob]

"I don't have an emotional investment in your relationship," Marc said. "My investment is he's okay."

[pocketpretzels]

"Yes," Watts said slowly, because how was he the one explaining emotions to someone. "You care that he's okay."

[hasaknightjob]

Marc could start to see where the confusion was. "Yeah. But him being happy isn't the only part of that. If something's going to fuck him over I need to know."

[pocketpretzels]

"Yes, well. I've no intention of doing so," Watts said. "And while my life has not been without its dangers, all who would have reason to target me are a century and change in the past, there's no reason Steven would come across any of them."

You know, unless they did actually end up visiting Watts's version of Toronto someday or something.