Promise not to mind if you go your way and I go mine

[onlyanapple]

Who: Anthony Crowley and you?
What: Mourning lost friends
When: 9th June
Where: The Nines
Rating: PG13 maybe?

Crowley hated seeing the Nines so quiet. It wasn't right. He'd put thinking about the man who used to own this little piece of the castle aside to deal with that...mirror business. But now that was taken care of, he had nothing left but to mourn the Barney Stinson-shaped hole that had suddenly appeared in his life.

He let out a small, uneeded breath as he wandered behind the bar, as he had always done, helping himself to a few bottles of choice whiskey. It was stupid. This whole place was stupid. Barney was just a human, there were billions upon billions like him in the world. It wasn't Crowley's place to actually care about them. It was his place to tempt them, to make their short, insignificant lives miserable and reap the benefits from it.

Even he knew he was kidding himself with that spiel. It hadn't even been that way before he was dragged into Paradisa, and it had only become less true the longer he lived here. But Paradisa was the place where he was forced to interact with humanity on a much more personal level. He'd even made, pardon his language, friends here. And Barney Stinson had been one of his best. No. That wasn't right. Barney was more than that. He'd been family.

The demon flopped down in the chair Barney had chosen and designated as 'for Crowley use only' and sat back, his hand shifting his sunglasses slightly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn't getting any easier. The longer he stayed here, the more chance there was of someone he actually cared about leaving this stupid place. And it was making him feel tired. And old. Someone, did he feel old.

Normally, he'd take these issues to the angel, who would assure him that this was All In The Plan, or to Barney who could solve anything with a quip and a bottle of booze and one of his dreaded High Fives. But they were both gone. Vanished home to live their own lives.

And so, Crowley decided to rely on the solace of alcohol. His good friend who never, ever left. Or died. He'd seen Yuan's corpse in the lobby, just as everyone else did. It had been a while since the castle had decided to off someone. He vaguely wondered if it was a bad omen. He raised his bottle in a silent toast to those gone before taking a long swig. It was going to be a long night.

Comments

[persequor]

"Is there really only one?" She tilts her head in curiosity.

[onlyanapple]

Only one I've met, and I hope I should know more than most.

[persequor]

You haven't really proved anything, though. You're just saying you're a demon and you know these things.

[onlyanapple]

He turned, giving her a sideways glance. "Would you like me to prove it?"

[persequor]

It only takes her a moment to square her shoulders and sit up straighter. "Yes."

[onlyanapple]

The demon chuckles, sitting back in his chair.

"And what would you call definitive proof?"

[persequor]

"I don't know." She shoots back, "You're the demon. You ought to know."

[onlyanapple]

"Well," Crowley snaps his fingers and fire suddenly appears at his finger tips. "It depends on what you consider real proof or just a magic trick."

[persequor]

She reaches close enough to feel the heat, but not burn herself.

"It's real fire!"

[onlyanapple]

"Of course it is," replied Crowley, closing his hand around it and snuffing it out. "Hellfire, to be exact."

[persequor]

She sits back, looking a bit awed despite herself. The feeling evaporates as she considers the implications.

"Not even demons can leave here?"

[onlyanapple]

Crowley shakes his head. "Nope. I've been here for a long time now, not that I mind all that much. It's a nice holiday, really."

[persequor]

"A holiday?" She snickers. "Really?"

[onlyanapple]

"Of course," he chuckles. "When it#s your job to mess with people all day every day, for all of eternity it's nice to have a break from it."

[persequor]

"Are you helpful to others instead now?" She raises an eyebrow. If that is true, this is the worst demon ever.

[onlyanapple]

Yes. Yes he was. But Crowley didn't admit to that, instead, he cleared his throat.

"No. I just annoy them, make their lives here just a touch more irritable."

[persequor]

She cants her head. "Everyone?"

[onlyanapple]

"Everyone," replied the demon with a smirk. "It's only fair, after all."

[persequor]

"You have a weird idea of 'fair'."

[onlyanapple]

"Well, I am a demon. It comes with the territory."

[persequor]

She hops lightly to her feet. "Do whatever you want to others, but if you do anything to my mother, I'll come after you, demon."

[onlyanapple]

Crowley paused, eyeing her up for a moment. Since Adam, he'd stopped underestimating the ability of small children.

"I'm sure I can probably manage that. Maybe."

[persequor]

"Good." She heads to the door. Belatedly, she remembers her courtesies. She turns around and bows her head a bit. "It was nice meeting you."

[onlyanapple]

A small smirk crossed Crowley's lips.

"Sure, kid. It was a real pleasure."