Chapter Text
After three months of looking after the shop all alone and shooing away customers best they could, there's a surge of demonic energy and a knock at the door.
Muriel nearly drops their teacup in the rush to stand. They throw open the door with a bubbly grin.
"Mr. Crow--! oh." The figure before them is certainly not Mr. Crowley.
A demon with dark skin, curly hair shaped into rabbit ears? and extremely long lower lashes stands sheepishly at the doorstep. They're caught off guard, but respond with what they hope looks like composure.
"Ello 'ello 'ello, what's all this then?"
"Erm, hi," The demon says with a little wave, Muriel does it back. "Is there any chance that the demon Crowley is here?" He fiddles with the hem of his jacket.
Muriel stares at the demon with suspicion.
"Yes, well, I'm not sure I'm supposed to tell you that."
"Oh come on, I thought your lot regarded Crowley as a traitor," he huffs. "Can't you just tell me?"
"Well if you must know. . ." Muriel hesitates. Would Archangel Aziraphale care if they told a demon where his (assumed) former husband wasn't? "He hasn't been here," they answer, rocking back on their heels.
The demon's shoulders slump in defeat, a twinge of what would be sympathy -- if Muriel didn't know better -- pangs at their heart.
"Well I'll be going then. Name's Eric by the way!" The demon, Eric calls over his shoulder as he walks away.
He's halfway across the street before Muriel picks up the courage to shout after him.
"Wait!" they lean out the door frame, still not fully trusting they won't be discorporated as soon as they step out.
Eric swings around, a half smile on his face.
He walks back.
"I'm Muriel, why are you looking for Mr. Crowley?" they ask tentatively.
"I can't tell you that," Eric says. "You'd have heaven on my heels in a second."
"Would it be for good reasons though?"
"No."
"Then why would I?"
"Hang on," Eric steps closer, excitement lighting up his features. "Are you looking for Crowley too?"
Muriel looks away.
"You are!"
"So?" they cross their arms. "It's not like that's a crime."
"Could be, you never know. But why, he's just some demon?"
"If he's just some demon, why are you looking for him?"
Eric puts his hands up in surrender.
"Fair point. But," he looks around. "I can't tell you out here." A few seconds of silence pass, Eric raises an eyebrow.
"What?" Muriel asks.
"I can tell you inside."
"Oh." An internal battle rages in their mind for seven seconds before they give up and invite Eric in. They've trusted a demon (Crowley) before and nothing bad happened. Well, nothing really bad anyway. And this one seems harmless.