Alcohol & Economics - Something Dangerous - Part 10

Lucifer hadn’t found a means to an end-that much was obvious. He had been occupying the same bar stool for the past seven hours nursing various alcoholic drinks, each stronger than the last. He’d called his sister, who’d left him little choice but to visit in order gain the information he needed. Dejected, he nursed his drink. The bartender, Lucifer hadn’t bothered to remember his name, had made him a justifiably named shooter. He’d mixed Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Johnnie Walker, Jose Cuervo, Jägermeister, and 151 proof rum before dubbing it Just Shoot Me and going to attend to another customer. He’d have to make a habit of visiting this place again, Gehenna’s wasn’t it?

“I’ll have what he’s having.” Lucifer’s day became even worse when the vampire he had been avoiding slid into a stool next to him, looking exhausted.

“Sure thing, sweetheart.” The bartender didn’t question why an obvious lightweight was trying to order such a strong drink; he even seemed to know her. Lucifer was confused, since when did Deceit enter the Hell District enough to become a regular?

“And Manumit, add an Afterglow to that.” She added as an afterthought, slumping onto the bar. Lucifer tried not to stare, he really did. But this girl was definitely Wisdom’s daughter, that much could be discerned. She had to be nearing the end of her growth phase, he reasoned. Manumit returned with Deceit’s drinks, interrupting his thoughts as she downed the entirety of her shooter before sipping her Afterglow.

‘Yep, definitely his daughter.’ Lucifer recalled just how easy alcohol was on his younger brother. It puzzled him as to why she took mainly after him and not her mother, while the opposite was true for his redheaded niece. He wrote it off as some sort of fucked up game of Punnet Squares.

He absolutely hated to admit it, but Lucifer was at a loss. On one hand, he was ordered to gain information about things involving angels. Something about angels, he couldn’t remember exactly what. ‘Damn this alcohol.’ Alternately, he wanted to remain a stranger to the girl beside him. Lucifer took the high road, and did what any logical dæmon would do: he ditched both options in favor of going home with the complete stranger eyeing him from across the room, all thoughts about his niece erased from his mind.

Osiris, sensing his subordinate’s blatant disobedience, sighed. Lucifer had gone home with Lust of all people, and he was stuck doing the work himself, per usual. It had been years since he’d been in the Surface World, and he wasn’t particularly enjoying the idea of doing so.

“Well, fuck.”

“YOU SHOULDN’T CURSE.” Osiris sighed. Ever since their death and subsequent instant damnation, Virtue and Wisdom had been the most annoying souls he’d ever let into Hell. After they’d managed to throw a seven day revolt (complete with free beer!) without physical bodies, he’d come to his senses and stuck them into a prism. Unfortunately, it was one of those black pearl orbs that were lying around, and those troublesome souls had discovered how to make them communicate with other orbs. So even now, when their prison was locked in a closet, Wisdom still found a way to inform him how his language was completely uncalled for.

“You know what the niftiest function of these orbs is?” Osiris asked absently, killing Wisdom’s rampage in the name of curiosity. Sensing he had Wisdom’s complete attention, he continued. “There’s an off button.”

“DON’T YOU DARE YOU BAST-” Wisdom’s pending threat was cut short as Osiris used his favorite function before throwing it out into the Plains, knowing one of the hell-hounds would return it eventually. Osiris sighed again and grabbed his coat. ‘Might as well get this over with…’