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[wayward_sun]

The Devil walks through the door, realizes where he is, and heads straight for the bar.

This is not unusual.

He orders a glass and a bottle.
This too is not unusual.

He's not smiling.
In fact, he seems almost a little upset.

That part is different.


He slams two drinks back in quick succession and then he takes a deep breath before sipping the third.

Satanists.
How he despises then.

Comments

[old_monster]

"If you want to knock your brain silly," says a figure to his left, wearing white robes and a ruddy great sword on his back, "I recommend baijiu. It reliably kills all sense you may have left."

[wayward_sun]

Lucifer looks over at him.

"Really? Most alcohol sadly doesn't work for long. On me anyway."

[old_monster]

"Then you might jump straight to Atlantean?" Ye Baiyi suggests.

Pause.

"You're actually the second underworldly official I meet. The first is a good friend back in my world."

[wayward_sun]

Lucifer looks at him. Blankly.

Then he says, "I'm not. Not anymore at any rate."

Not that anyone listens to him when he tries to tell them that.

[old_monster]

"Wu Xi isn't on active duty any more, either," Ye Baiyi says. "He got himself a sabbatical to incarnate on earth to be with his lover."

[wayward_sun]

"Are sabbaticals an actual thing?"

This is unfair.

[old_monster]

"Well of course," Ye Baiyi says. "When Qi Ye dies -- not too soon, as he has amazing cultivation -- what point is there for him in staying on earth any longer? I'm sure they'll go back to the underworld together and take it from there."

[wayward_sun]

"Go back? Willingly?"

But why?

[old_monster]

"Well, of course; one has to pass through on the way to the next life," Ye Baiyi says. "No idea whether the two of them have even thought about it yet; I guess they'll literally cross Naihe Bridge when they get there."

[wayward_sun]

"My Brother is trying to drag me back but there's no way in Hell - pun intended - that is just go along with that."

[old_monster]

"To you it's not a bridge, it's a dead end, is it?" Ye Baiyi guesses.

[wayward_sun]

"It's a prison."

He almost spits it out.

[old_monster]

"That's nasty," Ye Baiyi agrees. "For us, there is always the way out on the other side. That's the point of the underworld -- just one spot the wheel of reincarnation has to run through."

Pause.

"I'm sorry to say so, but your world sucks."

[magic_by_accident]

On his own in a corner, John observes Lucifer's entry and first two drinks. When Lucifer starts the third, John picks up his own whiskey and joins him at the bar.

"Bad day?"

[wayward_sun]

"That's putting it mildly," Lucifer replies, turning to face John. He is still visible upset

"Satanists, John. Satanists in L.A. killing people. And one of them dressed up as a fucking goat pretending to be me."

[magic_by_accident]

"Oh, Luce," John says -- and fuck his rugged masculinity, he puts down his glass and wraps his arms around Lucifer's neck. He kisses Lucifer's cheek.

"Want me to go and show 'em some consequences?"

[wayward_sun]

"I've already told them off. I mean - it's just so pathetic. And the killings? Who would I want people killed?"

That is just as upsetting as the goat thing really. That this is how people see him.

The kiss is nice though.

[magic_by_accident]

"Because murder is the ultimate evil," John says in his most soothing voice, "and that's what people think you want."

He adds, gently teasing, "Really, Luce, you need a better publicist."

[wayward_sun]

"That's just it! Why am I being made out to be the villain?"

He empties his drink and pours another.

"I'm not."

[magic_by_accident]

"The people who know you know that," John says. He takes a steps back so not to crowd Lucifer, and sips his whiskey. "You're just fighting six thousand years of propaganda."

[wayward_sun]

"Well, it's not fair," Lucifer says. And I'm still vulnerable around the Detective."

He pouts.

So not fair.

He completely fails to see Constantine's considerate gesture, too absorbed in his own bad mood.

[magic_by_accident]

"Life isn't fair, Luce," John observes quietly and has a longer pull on his whiskey.

[wayward_sun]

He widens his eyes.

"Don't I know it? But honestly, you should have seen the sad excuse for a dressed up goat. I've never been as offended before."

[magic_by_accident]

John does a spit take.

"Sorry, sorry," he mutters as he wipes his mouth. "There was an actual goat?"

[wayward_sun]

"No, just some random person dressed up with a taxidermied goat's head. An actual goat would have been better. I told them they had free will and not to save like sheep - and then they fucking applauded me."