The Devil's Nest, Monday evening

[texted3times]

Tiny was behind the bar in a "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" shirt (he wasn't and please don't) and Eric was over in the lounge trying unsuccessfully to avoid getting covered in the shamrock-shaped glitter that had been spread throughout the bar.

"And no, I still don't believe it was a leprechaun," he told Tiny, fishing a piece from his glass of whiskey.

The bar was decked out for St. Patrick's Day, Eric would charge you double if you insisted on green beer, and the Dropkick Murphys were in heavy rotation on the sound system. Come on in.

Comments

[okteiviakom]

"This is one of those ones I always forget even exist," Octavia noted, surveying how much worse and/or plentiful the decorations had gotten since she'd been in for her shift last week. "There's too many holidays."

[texted3times]

"There are," Eric agreed. "Mardi Gras was late this year and it means we really couldn't celebrate Stab Caesar Day properly."

Most people don't celebrate the Ides of March, Eric.

[okteiviakom]

"I don't think that's a thing," Octavia agreed with his narrative.

Even though she'd definitely been wrong about that sort of thing before. See above re: how she thought a lot of actual holidays were pointless.

[texted3times]

"I knew a Roman Centurion," Eric said with a smile.

[okteiviakom]

"... You did?"

Careful which nerds you mention that around, Eric.

(Like, say, this one.)

[texted3times]

Eric nodded. "He turned me into a vampire."

[okteiviakom]

"Oh," Octavia said, subtly softer in tone. Her head tilted just a little. "I didn't -- I wouldn't have thought there was going to be that connection."

Eric obviously didn't read Roman, after all.

[texted3times]

"He didn't stab Caesar, but he could appreciate the motivation to," Eric said with a small smile. "My turning was a very long time ago. His was even longer than that."

[okteiviakom]

"Right," Octavia said. And also, "Makes sense."

She shook her head, a small movement.

"You'd think considering... everything, that I'd have less preconceived notions about how all that time works out."

But she remained only human.

[texted3times]

Eric smiled, "In your defense, Lucifer and I shake up the idea of a lifetime quite a bit."

[okteiviakom]

"I know," Octavia replied, something dry (but wry) returning to her tone. "And as for myself, I'm not technically even born for another hundred years, so..."

She shrugged. Faintly.

"I should know everything's always closer than you think."

[texted3times]

"It's easy to forget," Eric said. "Would you like a drink that isn't green?"

[okteiviakom]

"I don't care if it's green."

One overly green holiday wasn't going to turn her off an entire color. (Well, at least not her favorite one.)

[texted3times]

"You might if Tiny goes wild with creme de menthe," Eric said dryly. "Friends don't let friends drink cough syrup."

[okteiviakom]

"Is that something he's been offering, or...?"

Hey, you never knew. With Tiny.

[texted3times]

"I'm afraid to ask," Eric admitted.

[okteiviakom]

"You're intimidated by Tiny?"

What, it was right there. Of course Octavia was going to amuse herself.

"I'll have to remember that."

[texted3times]

Eric grinned and waved that off. "Not at all. I'm just uninterested in hearing about his terrifying cocktail choices."

[okteiviakom]

"Oh, but now he's terrifying?"

Octavia was horrible when she was in a halfway decent mood.

[texted3times]

"Creme de menthe is disgusting," Eric told her.

[okteiviakom]

"At this rate I might actually have to try it," Octavia admitted. "I don't think I have."

[texted3times]

"You'd remember," Eric said. "The same with Jägermeister. Green liquor is generally a good thing to skip."