2 // Temptation - Video // Late Evening

[serpentinthegarden]

[ The Liberty Inn was playing host to a very, very drunk demon. It had been days since the 'incident' and Aziraphale was apparently doing well... hiding out in the castle and training for the big mission. Crowley was not, neither training or doing well. He slammed the empty bottle back onto the table, knocking the little mirror open as he did so. ]

Just shouldn't have said anything at all... should have enjoyed it while it lasted...

[ He took a long swig from a freshly opened bottle. ]

It's not even like it matters here! It's been over a week! There's no end of the world, no Armageddon... No armies of Heaven or of Hell...

We could do anyth--... literally anything and no one would be around to check up...

[The bartender came around to clean up some of the empty wine bottles and his arm was clung to.]

I can't help that I'm a demon. I can't... it just happened. One day I was creating stars and the next... doing the backstroke in a pool of lava... 

[The poor bartender managed to pull his arm free and finding himself alone and depressed Crowley sighed into his bottle of alcohol..]

Demons don't care, don't love... shouldn't, so why does it hurt so much that he left... 

Comments

[serpentinthegarden]

He ran, I didn't.

[ The wine was sought out again for a quick swig of forgetfulness. ]

I could break those rules. It would almost be expected of me... But him, nooo.

[ The 'no' was drawn out drunkenly and with a weak shake of his head. ]

Even if some part of him wanted it to happen, he will hold himself back from allowing it again. Angels are meant to be above temptation.

[az_shrimp_horny]

He ran, but you're the one getting stupid wasted and whining about it to someone you barely know. Which, you know, is a valid response. It's a total Shellstrop way to deal with this shit. So, you know what? If guy just wanna get shit faced and bitch? Go for it. Hey, I'll join ya.

[serpentinthegarden]

So long as I have your approval...

[ Which he said some what darkly, mostly due to the fact this second wine bottle he was nursing seemed to be partially empty. ]

What are you drinking?

[az_shrimp_horny]

[She snorts]

Yeah, like you need it. I'm not gonna tell you how to live your life. If you want advice I'm full of it and happy to share. But I'm not gonna force you to listen to me. I've got my own shit to deal with.

[She looks at her second margarita, already half empty.]

Margaritas, but I'm not too picky. I'll drink pretty much anything. Why?

[serpentinthegarden]

They have something called a... called a...

[ Crowley fumbled through his mental files trying to remember what the mixed drink was called. ]

Aviation! That's it. If we are going to get 'stupid wasted' we might as well try it. Oi, barkeep! Two Aviations, one for me and one for the lady.

[ When this purple cocktail arrived they would find it a unique mixture of gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice. It had a fruity and floral flavor. ]

[az_shrimp_horny]

[Eleanor downed the rest of her drink before the bartender brought the new one over. Hey, if he was going to buy her a drink she wasn't going to be the weirdo trying to juggle two. That'd just be rude, right?

Her eyes got wide when the purple concoction showed up.]

Dude! I don't think I've ever drank anything that color before.

[She gave it a curious sniff before sipping it. Her eyes immediately rolled back in her head and she made a very pleased, moderately obscene noise.]

Holy fuck that's good!

[serpentinthegarden]

[ Crowley downed a sip of his own drink before agreeing with her assessment with a light grunt. It was good. Something like this... bright and floral, Aziraphale would have loved this. As he thought about that he frowned again, realizing that was probably why he had ordered it in the first place. Damn!

The fruity drink was left there on the counter as he wheeled away and stumbled over to the jukebox. I mean, if he was going to make himself truly miserable then it needed some appropriate background music. ]

First person to even THINK of touching that machine...

[ A point to the jukebox. ]

... is going to have trouble with me!

[az_shrimp_horny]

[Eleanor leaned back against the bar, watching the intoxicated demon stumbling around the bar. Hey, she wasn't going to judge him on the choices he made while he was drunk. When the music started playing, she tilted her head. Memories of a man with straggly gray hair smoking a joint on a dirty couch.]

Whoa, my Dad used to listen to this. I haven't heard this shit since... [She swallowed her next words, choking them down like a bitter shot before continuing.] In years.

[serpentinthegarden]

Your dad?

[ He stumbled back to his barstool and dived back into the strange purple drink. ]

Has good taste in music. Did he go first or did you?

[az_shrimp_horny]

[Shit... He had to ask. She turned back to her drink, fiddling with the stem of the glass.]

Both of 'em went first, actually. Dad, then Mom. They were shitty people so they're definitely in the Bad Place.

[serpentinthegarden]

The acorn didn't fall too far then.

[ Just an observation, not a judgement. ]

[az_shrimp_horny]

Nope! I have them to thank for all this. Hell, I took care of them for a while til I got eman- emanci- emaciated? [She made a face.] emancipated.

[serpentinthegarden]

That should have given you 'good place' points... unless you mean you took care of them.

[az_shrimp_horny]

What? No! I dumped their asses and never looked back. I only came back for their funerals.

[She sighed, looking down at her drink.] Mom showed up to Dad's already drunk and tried to pick up my boyfriend.

[Snorting, she glanced up at him.] You're right. I shoulda gotten mondo Good points for dealing with them.

[serpentinthegarden]

Fun family.

[ His floral drink managed to make it'sway to his lips again. ]

[az_shrimp_horny]

Yeah, right? It's it any wonder I ended up a trash bag?

[She shook her head and downed about half her drink.]

Why are you asking all this stuff, anyway? Got actually interested?

[serpentinthegarden]

I asked one thing... you kept talking after that.

[ Another sip of drink. Now that he hadn't stopped her or rudely walked away or anything might have betrayed some interest or at least it listening to her problems took his mind off his. ]

[az_shrimp_horny]

Shit, you're right.

[She made a face, lightly pounding her fist on the bar.]

Damn my weakness for talking about myself! Not as bad as Tahani's, but still.

[serpentinthegarden]

[ The light rap had the bartender looking over at them but he returned to washing glasses when to seemed he wasn't needed. ]

Seems to be something that happens in bars anyway. People are always talking about more than they should.

[ Just as he had earlier. Oops! ]

I am curious about one thing, did you do one really huge terrible thing to end up in the 'Bad Place' or did it just happen?

[az_shrimp_horny]

[She lifted her drink in a small toast.]

A few of these helps with that, too.

[Two martinis and most of this drink and she was starting to slur just a tad. At the question she set her glass down and leaned forward on the bar with a soft groan.]

Mmmmmnooooo. I was a pretty mediocre person when I was alive. I don't think I was bad enough to be in the Bad Place, though. I used to think I should be in a "medium place"... Then I saw what that meant and it suuuuucks.

[serpentinthegarden]

[ The toast was shared as he agreed a few of those certainly didn't help prevent it! ]

That's the way it is. There are only ever a few demons, people, who ever really know where they are going to end up.

There's actually a medium place? What do they do?

[az_shrimp_horny]

There's only one person there. Mindy St. Claire. She's bonkers! But it's a fucking weird place. Like... All beige with warm beer and a juke box that only plays the Eagles...

[She winces.]

I mean... It's okay. But I guess that's the point.

[serpentinthegarden]

They actually made a whole middle ground area for one mad person?

[ Crowley's nose scrunched in a grimace. ]

Seems like a waste of effort.

[az_shrimp_horny]

Yyyyyup. All for one crazy coke head lawyer.

[She grimaced, too.]

It's cuz she was a trash person who did one really good thing before she died. So neither side could agree where she belonged.

[serpentinthegarden]

Must have been a really, really, really... REALLY good thing. It doesn't usually happen like that.

[ His drink had another sip taken from it. ]

Actually it never happens like that, not ever. Things are very black and white once you die. You are either good or you are evil, probably because angels and demons are that way. It's the only way they can see things.

[ It wasn't the only way he could see things, he noticed... and not for the first time. Only on this occasion he put that feeling into words. ]

Maybe humans can get away with that. Humans are more, just humans really, neither good or bad...