The Devil's Nest, Tuesday Evening

[my_own_advocate]

"I realize I've been away for some time, Tiny," Lucifer said, sweeping into the club with nary a hello. "But one, why is the entire bar covered in Mooby-themed Christmas decorations, and two, since when are you a Wikipedia editor?"

If anyone needed Lucifer, well, he'd be in his booth ordering classier Christmas ornaments.

[[ open ]]

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

Did Steven and Watts going to see babies mean Marc especially needed a drink? Or was that Steven insisted on Marc doing something and getting a drink was the only appealing thing to do? Good question.

Either way, it was Marc and Watts who would ping in himself who entered into Devil's Nest and headed to the bar.

"He's making a fuss over nothing," Marc said to Watts.

Oh, okay, it was the Steven option.

Marc took a seat and waited to order.

[pocketpretzels]

"It's been a month," Watts pointed out. Steven was clearly concerned Marc would backslide somewhat with regards to his social skills his efforts to be social. Watts was inclined to agree.

[hasaknightjob]

Had Marc been counting? Of course not.

"I've been around," Marc protested.

What? He'd been in reflections and shit. Occasionally. Totally fine.

[pocketpretzels]

"Hmmm," Watts said, sipping his drink that he'd definitely ordered at some point. "You have." The barely wasn't said aloud but it was implied.

[hasaknightjob]

"He freaks out for no reason," Marc said. "He needed the body, I didn't. It's fine."

[pocketpretzels]

"He does borrow trouble," Watts acknowledged. "But I think there's also some legitimate concern in there."

[hasaknightjob]

There was also the thing where for part of that Steven had been protecting Marc which Marc had a whole host of complicated feelings about.

"Concern about what?" Marc asked. "Not like I've got a complicated social calendar."

Some might argue that was the point, of course.

[pocketpretzels]

"Yes," Watts said drily, echoing the narrative. "I do believe that is what he's concerned about."

[hasaknightjob]

"You can't distract him more?" Marc asked. "Keep him from getting obsessed with this stuff?"

Adorable that Marc thought Steven couldn't multitask.

[pocketpretzels]

Watts let out a soft snort of amusement. "I appreciate your estimation of my powers of distraction," he said.

There was also the part where he kind of agreed with Steven in principle if not always in method.

[hasaknightjob]

What? Steven's methods were perfectly healthy and never once overstepped boundaries!

"I don't wanna say you've got one job here, but..." Marc said, giving Watts a... well it was Marc so not a smile but something approximating a look that said he was joking.

Joking for Marc anyway. We grade on a curve.

[pocketpretzels]

“My job, as you say, consists of, in large part, making him happy. You making an effort to engage in social activities makes him happy. Ergo I am, in fact, doing my job,” Watts replied.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc facepalmed, since let's face it he did walk right into that one. There may or may not have been a Steven-shaped feeling of smugness in the back of his head as well.

"Well I'm here, aren't I?" Marc said. "Being social. Life of the party."

[pocketpretzels]

“It is a decent start,” Watts was willing to acknowledge, since Marc was out of the house.

[hasaknightjob]

"It was, you know, good," Marc said. "You keeping an eye on him."

Some people would say thank you. This was Marc.

[pocketpretzels]

“It’s part of loving him,” Watts said simply.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc nodded, since hey: fair point. Different kind of emotions from Marc's end but the same concept.

"You did better than I could," Marc said. Then amended, "Did."

[pocketpretzels]

“You did what you thought best at the time,” Watts said. “It might not have actually been what was best, but it came from a good place. He knows that.”

[hasaknightjob]

"It was best," Marc said. He wasn't going to waver on that belief anytime soon, if ever. "He got the good life. That's how that worked."

[pocketpretzels]

“It may have been the good life, but a real life is a mixture of good and bad,” Watts said firmly, with a very firm emphasis on real. “Of course, ideally weighed heavily towards the former. But it does mean he will need to face the hard things, the painful things, from time to time.”

The flip side being that Watts just as strongly felt Marc deserved the good things, but he kept that sentiment to himself for the moment.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc took a swallow of his drink that he totally had too. "That's supposed to be my job. So he doesn't have to."

[pocketpretzels]

Watts shook his head. “He doesn’t want those things taken away. He wants you to carry them with him. He wants what’s real.”

It felt a bit odd, speaking for Steven to the man who shared a body with him, but, well. It was the truth as he saw it.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc sighed. "Reality sucks."

Which wasn't saying no to Watts's point. More of a general observation.

[pocketpretzels]

Watts took a look around at the assorted Christmas decorations, and made an unimpressed "Ugh!" noise as he twirled down into his seat.

Maybe something a little stronger than wine was going to be ordered tonight.

[my_own_advocate]

"I assure you, they'll be gone in the next hour," Lucifer called, lowering his phone for a moment.