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[ She raises her eyebrows at him over the bottle. ]

I feel like getting really drunk. [ Because something happened, but she isn't drunk enough to start on the feelings just yet. ]

Maybe you should try something a little harder than that then. [ He leans to tap at her beer, stretching over to grab one of the other bottles there so he can inspect it. ] Like this.

[ He doesn't wait, opening it without another word and taking a long drink. ]

Maybe I was waiting for you.

[ And she's gonna grab another one, her own, because she has plans on finishing the thing off by herself thank you very much. ]

What's your excuse?

Well, I'm here now. No more waiting. [ There's a bit of a laugh at that, and Bells slides a little closer to her. A half shrug. ] No excuse really. It's not like I was gonna turn you down.

There's not a whole lot to do on this ship anyway. Soooo. Why not?

Amen to that. [ She holds up her bottle to him in a mock-cheers before taking a lot swing of her own. ]

That's what I was thinking. You'd think there'd be more people are here, what with there not being anything else to do and all.

[ He follows with a quick pull from his own drink, glad for the warmth of it when it starts to settle. ]

They've got their own stuff to worry about. Or they don't like alcohol as much as they should. [ Bells smiles genuinely. ] But you're here, and I'm here. That should count, right?

[ she lets the swing sit for a moment while she nods, agreeing with him. ]

I guess. Most people back home worry about their stuff through a bottle of Jack, so it's just weird not having that around. [ and you know what, have a smile right back. ] Counts enough for me, that's for sure.

It's that bad back there, huh? At home? [ Because they hadn't really talked a lot about that. It'd mostly been Hell this and Hell that, nothing too substantial. Bells takes another drink before turning and sitting on a stool beside her, leaning on a hand so he's still looking at her.

He sighs, thinking he can trust her enough with something a little more than the basics. ] I always preferred drugs, you know. Better to forget than worry about things you couldn't actually change.

Not everywhere. [ She kind of looks off behind the bar for a moment, thinking. ] My mom ran a bar, so that's kind of all I saw growing up. But the crowd our bar attracted? Yeah. And by the time I left? Yeah.

[ When he speaks, she takes another sip from the bottle, looking over at him to let him know she's listening and when he finishes, she shrugs. ] Drugs were always too much money, I guess. Alcohol was free and easy to get.

You think it's gotten any better since? [ He pauses for a drink, thinking better half-way through and taking a longer one. The bottle's almost half empty now, but there's plenty, so he's not too concerned. ] I never, I dunno. I didn't have much interest going up there to check on the living. Don't think I honestly cared much. [ Bells laughs, shaking his head. ]

People have sold their souls for less. Good thing I never got that luxury. [ Because he would have given it away without hesitation. ]

Honestly? Probably not. If it's not one thing it's another, and when it comes down to it there will always be demons.

[ She watches him take a drink with a slight smile to her face, impressed. She could try to match him, if she wanted, but the alcohol is starting to take affect so instead she just enjoys the slight tingle, the warmth. ]

I wouldn't, if I were you. I mean, sure, there's some stuff worth saving but as a whole? We're kinda fucked.

[ That gets a snort out of her as she takes another drink. ] Never really understood the whole selling soul thing. I mean, sure, you get ten years of a great life, but against eternity? Doesn't really compare.

So, you don't like demons. [ It's the only thing he picks out of that, though he has questions. About selling souls, the world and saving it. Things he hadn't cared about before showing up there. There's another drink mixed in there somewhere. ] I guess a lot of people get the wrong idea about 'em. I don't think they're so bad. The ones I know, anyway.

[ A wave of his hand. ] The angels that end up down there can't be counted on for anything. I only had one friend. Uh, Lor. Loriel. Even with him, it's hard sometimes. [ Still is considering all they've done since he's shown up is argue and ignore each other. ] Demons, though. I could understand that.

But I guess that goes for everything though, doesn't it? [ He rubs his face idly. ] Some's not all that bad, but most of it's just a waste of time. 'Cause you'll die either way.

[ Sorry, Bells, but jo can't help but choke a little on her drink when he mentions misunderstanding demons. When she's able to pull herself together, she just shakes her head. ] Maybe. The only demons I tend to deal with are the 'possessing innocent people and killing everyone' kind of demons. I almost got killed by one, actually. Or tortured. Not really sure.

[ cause dean showed up and saved her before anything serious happened, but we don't have to get into that yet. ]

Hard how? [ She's curious. And too busy finishing that sip she'd choked on earlier to talk for herself, for a moment at least. ]

Kinda depressing, when you think about it. But yeah. Live it up while you can because good or bad you're gonna die one way or another.

[ He sits up, making sure she's okay before settling back into his former slouch again. ]

Yeah, I know some like that too. I didn't make it a habit to hang around with 'em though. [ Bells drops quiet for a second, drinking again. Once, twice. Almost until the bottle is empty. Then he leans heavily against his hand and stares at Jo. ] Hard because he still believes in Heaven. Thinks that, uh, after all this is said and done, they'll take us back. [ And he takes the last sip. ] They won't.

I kinda like it here anyway. [ Bells sighs, gives her a small smile. ] There's nice people here.

Guess all the good demons stayed down there. [ and maybe it's because she's starting to feel drunk that it makes sense, but she decides not to question it, taking a very long drink of her own.

When Bells turns to look at her, she just stares right back, frowning a little. ]

You never told me why you got sent down there. [ but just in case he still doesn't want to talk about it, she moves on. ] Between you and me? [ her smiles turns more into a little grin ] This place ain't half bad.

[ There's a laugh at that, shaking his head as he considers opening another drink. He's not quite drunk yet. Far from it, actually, but he's warmed up to Jo enough that it wouldn't have mattered. At the very least, he feels like he can trust her. ]

Did you ask before? I don't remember. [ The smile fades a bit, fingers rubbing at his face. ] Let's just say a lot of angels died when they didn't have to. Kinda sucks, you know? [ He licks at the corner of his mouth. ] Sometimes I liked it better down there though.

No one cared either way, but at least you didn't have to believe in something that never really had any faith in you to begin with.

[ as if reading his mind she's going to push another bottle in his direction, just in case. she listens to him talk with a fairly serious expression. especially when he starts talking about faith. ]

What do you mean, never had any faith in you?

[ Bells takes the bottle without really looking at it, gaze focused on her a little harder than it should be instead. Like he's trying to see through her, right to her soul. It's something he can't do, though there's probably some sort of lost sentiment, maybe even envy, there. He gentle pokes at the neck of it, skirting his fingers along the glass. ]

He had favorites. But it certainly wasn't any of us. [ A pause, shaking his head. ] Well. Maybe Lucifer. You can't really get much from rumors though.

Anyway, there was never any time for us. We were expendable. [ His voice takes on a stern edge. ] If you ever fight for something, make sure it's for you and not anyone else.

[ Because he learned that the hard way too. ]

[ she stares at him right back, honestly curious and not about to back down from this. not yet. maybe it's the alcohol or maybe it's something else, but it takes a few moment for her brain to catch up with who Bells is referring to, and it's only then that she stares down at the bottle in her hands. ]

That's fucked up, though. Just. Not how things are supposed to work. [ she bites the inside of her lip for a moment, listening to him finish before she laughs. Or more like barks, a little. ] Yeah, well, little too late for that.

A lot of things don't work the way they're supposed to. [ He kind of gives her a grin though, that laugh just a little too cute. Maybe she's drunk, maybe she's almost there. Bells doesn't know, but it's nice to have this relaxed feeling being with her. Like she gets it. ] Like, I dunno. Me and Lor. [ He mentions his friend without another comment, opening the bottle and taking a deep pull. Why can he never seem to get drunk fast enough? ]

Or Dean and everybody. Right? [ It's just a joke, Jo. Ha ha. Laugh with him, please. ]

[ she smiles when he smiles, laughs when he laughs, not because she's really feeling it but because it's just easier that way. makes it easier for her that way if she just doesn't make a big deal about it. ]

What about you and Lor?

[ there's a pull, on his part, and she joins in because she's going to need it. but even then it doesn't help with how the smile fades, how she's staring at the bottle in her hands again.

maybe it's because he's been so honest with her, but she feels like she owes him an explanation. just to be caught up to speed. ]

Yeah, like Dean. [ she pauses, stares at the bottle and takes another swing, even though the last one is still burning in her throat. ] But hey, we all gotta die for something right?

You already know about me and Lor. [ A little, at least. He doesn't want to get into the specifics of it. How they're friends out of necessity, that Bells thinks he owes him something for taking care of him when he'd been left in some random ditch in Hell to die (again) and burn himself out on drugs until there'd been nothing left. He doesn't want to tell her how he loves him and just how much that love is pretty unrequited.

Bells pauses mid-drink, eyes settling her pretty hard at that last line. ] What do you mean by that exactly? Are you-- [ Bottle lowered, he presses his lips together. ] Did you die?

[ She picks up on how he avoids the question, or more so avoids explaining further, so Jo just shrugs and looks back down at her bottle because it's her turn to avoid him, this time it being his eyes.

Jo tries to smile a little, tries to play it off, and starts picking at the label of her bottle. ]

Did, or am, back home. [ there's a pause, before she lifts her bottle to him, another cheers. ] Space-hell is my second chance, I guess.

Well, uh. You look pretty good for being dead. [ He gives her a grin, meant as a tease, and even if he doesn't mean to, he gets up to kick the seat a little closer to hers so he can gently nudge her with his elbow. ] We already agreed it's not so bad. Unless you brought stuff with you from home, I guess.

[ okay, that definitely makes her laugh. ]

Thanks. I think so too. [ and when he scoots over and nudges her, she nudges back, shrugging a little. ]

As far as I know nothing followed. There're apparently Hellhounds on board, but I don't think they're the ones that got me.

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