1196/What Lux Reveals

What Lux Reveals
Date of Scene:	29 June 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Lucifer, Ravenna Levesque

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Lucifer has posed:
Another day/evening at Lux, another... whatever profit margin the management seems to accept. Mostly cash, in a place where people seem to routinely overpay on their tab and 'have it applied to a future balance'. Sometimes by thousands of dollars.

And Ravenna, often as not, gets a bar tab picked up with a few gold coins as people clear our their bill for the month. Strange gold about the size of a silver dollar, stamped with a candle. The cash exchange rate varies every week, with the current 'value' on a post-it next to the cashier's register.

It's a down moment between the late night rush and the early morning mimosa crowd; the Bartender and Ravenna huddle over spreadsheets, a strange bit of mundane bookkeeping the Bartender seems to thoroughly enjoy. "We'll be short on Grey Goose middle of next week, so let's move that order up a few days; and since you're shipping in from France, let's coordinate with the Macallan distillery and see what we can do to get the cargo all on one boat and come directly here," he tells Ravenna, making a little note on his criss-cross grid of the world map, tracking shipping routes by date and time.

As it turns out, coordinating a bar with multinational liquor sources is a bit more complicated than one might think. He stretches out his back and pours a touch more wine into their glasses, reaching for the stem of his and throwing back a mouthful of dark burgundy.

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
Working in a twenty-four hour place is always interesting. It does allow Ravenna the freedom to work when she needs to, but the lull times are different than she's used to. Still, working with booze orders are always a chore, and she had no idea this was going to be that complicated. "I'll call Francois in a few hours and cll in a favor. He owes me one still... or two, I really need to write these favors down. Hopefully that'll get it here all at once and the turn around won't be so bad. It would be far easier if we could just teleport the cases we need over here."

As he tops off the wine, she takes a harty sip to help push the day away. Overtime to get the cellar last night definatly made slipping in this evening rougher. "So how long do we have before people start stumbling in for mimosas?" She makes a mental note to get some wine chilling. She also scans over the room to see who is left, and wondering if she can start her questions up again.

Lucifer has posed:
"A few hours," the Bartender says, squinting at the clock. "The heavy drinkers are all bundled up to home and the day-drinking alcoholics won't be awake until it's time for brunch. Five, six hours at least. You're not on call until tomorrow evening, though, I can handle the day crowd with the restaurant just fine," he assures her. "I'd rather have you sharp for the evening rush," he clarifies, before taking another sip of his wine and leaning his hip against the bartop for balance. "Why do you ask?"

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
"I just had a few questions for you and I know how important it is for you to be behind the bar when your patrons are here." Ravenna gestures over to the wine cellar, to at least perhaps give the illusion of a private conversation. "I'll get plenty of rest, don't worry about me." She says with a smirk. "That's what magic is for anyway." She'll slip from her glass again, reaching into a hidden pocket in her dress to pull out the key to the cellar.

Lucifer has posed:
The Bartender glances at the bar, then goes 'ehh' and reaches for a little sign that says 'help yourself' and puts it near the bar. Making sure the lid is flipped back so patrons can get to the booze if they like, he picks up the wine bottle and moves to follow Ravenna to the wine cellar.

"I don't think anyone terribly important is going to show up, and it's not like the restaurant can't send someone down if a client goes on a bender about needing /just/ the right sort of cocktail," he explains to Ravenna, lifting his chin at the level above the lounge area.

He follows her into the wine cellar and steps to one of the low chairs set at four points around a table, and drops lazily into it to lounge against the back and armrest at an oblique angle. He gives Ravenna an expectant look, one brow lifting as if to prompt her to ask her questions.

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
Ravenna unlocks the door and slips down into the area that she feels far more comfortable in. She's changed nothing, since even if she has control over the room, it still isn't hers. When he lounges in the chair,s he settles in a near by one, but keeps her posture straight and even. "First, the easy question." She says as she smooths over her skirt. "My familiar isn't enjoying lurking outside, but I know there are always health code problems with bringing animals on the property, but having him angsting outside all night can get distracting. Is there some where inside he can lurk?"

Lucifer has posed:
"Famil-- your cat?" the Bartender asks, with a lifted brow. "That one that's prowling around outside all night?" he inquires, lifting one finger in question. He grunts, a bemused expression on his lean features.

"Every good hotel needs a mouser, right?" he inquires, amicably. "If you can convince him to stay out of the kitchen during the day, I don't think it'll be a problem. But it's not like the health inspector is going to show up and bust us for having a feline on the property," he remarks. "Still, propriety being what it is... keep a litter box somewhere out of sight, tidy up after him, and I can't imagine anyone will take an issue."

He purses his lips. "Well, /someone/ will take issue, but you can't please everyone all the time," he amends.

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
"He's.. new. I'm not used to having him around, and if it wasn't for the subtle ping of his emotions I'd forget he was there." Ravenna says with a shrug. "Still he'd be happier and stop pestering if he had some mice to catch." When Lucifer agrees she nods her head and gives a faint smile. "I'll find somewhere for him to do his business, and keep it clean." The piece of mind will be worth it for sure.

Sipping from her glass, her smile fades again as she moves on. "Look, I know you don't trust me. I've only been here for a week or so, but I saw what you did when Strange was here. I was a little too angry that night to ask the questions I should have. WHat are you that you can reach out and grab time in your hand like that? To keep this place in the bubble it is takes a lot of power, and I've only glimpsed at it."

Lucifer has posed:
The bartender seems to have anticipated this question; he looks neither shocked nor angry. He does smile a little at Ravenna, but it's a tolerant expression more than a welcoming one.

"We're new to each other," he concedes, rolling one shoulder at her. "Frankly, if all Strange wanted to do was strut and peacock his amazing magical gadgetry, I'd have let him have a drink and leave in peace. But he /was/ breaking things, and while I'd prefer to not complicate your new job with issues that are a little above your pay grade... I couldn't let him just stamp around, either," the Bartender tells Ravenna, shrugging at her a little. "I'm gratified that you chose to stand up to him, though. He certainly seemed more interested in adding a notch to his belt than actually being a mentor. What'd you do with that... little golden Snitch he gave you, anyway?"

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
He deflects. Ravenna is not at all surprsied that he did, she would have been surprised if he gave her an answer. Still her face remains neutral as he explains himself and she shrugs her shoulders. "Peacock is too kind of a word." She says plainly before she polishes off the rest of her wine and sets the glass on the table. "I've had my fill of arrogant assholes who know what's best for me. If he really wanted my talents, and he has been 'watching' me as he says he is, than he would have known that was the absolute worst way to approch me." When he mentions the trinket she quirks a brow. "You mean the one he embued with holy energy that you seemed to look at was if it was covered in poison? It's at home."

Lucifer has posed:
"Good. I wouldn't remotely put it past him to leave some kind of spectral time-bomb inside such a device, or at the very least use it to surveill and harass us here," the Bartender tells Ravenna, nodding slightly. "You'll find that few attempts to scry or spy into this area succeed, but it's a different matter entirely if someone leaves a 'gift' behind," he adds. "Strange is entirely too clever for his own good and strikes me as the sort who takes 'no' poorly," he says, a bit wryly.

He takes another sip of his wine glass, sitting in a posture of supreme reponse and his glass cradled in his hand, stem dangling towards the ground with the stem between two fingers and his posture supremely confident-- moreso than even behind the bar, on reflection.

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
"Well it's good to know that I do have at least one place to hide." Though hearing what he fears the item has she frowns. "Perhaps I should move where I have it, I would hate to think he was watching me sleep." Or worse. "He hasn't approched me since, so hopefully he will take his no and run with it." She watches as he gets himself all the more comfortable, and comfortable in his stance that he isn't going to answer her question. For a moment a flash of determination crosses her face, and she begins to speak again when her phone chirps.

At this hour it could only be a few people contacting her, and she reaches into her pocket to see who it is. A look of disgust crosses her face and she clicks the screen off and slips it back in her pocket. "So there it is then." She says, reaching for the bottle and refilling her glass.

Lucifer has posed:
"I would toss it into a ditch somewhere," the Bartender says, helpfully. "Mostly because it amuses me to think of Strange having to schlepp through the mud to retrive his bauble. But, I've been called 'petty' in the past," he says, leaning forward to catch a little pour of wine before Ravenna settles back into her seat.

Her expression isn't missed, and he lifts a brow at her rather oblique statement.

"So-- not that I'm prying, of course-- but I overhear things sometimes. I understand that all's not right with your ex/ex-employer," he inquires. He holds a hand up. "Not that you aren't a big girl who can't handle it on her own. Just that you're also my employee, and I tend to take attacks on my employees rather seriously."

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
"With our luck he has some sort of telekensis and can float it out of the muck and not get his cape dirty. Honestly who wears a cape these days." Well a lot of people do but still, Ravenna smirks. "You? Petty? The thought never crossed my mind." There is a hint of teasing in her voice as she refills his glass and settles back in her chair.

When he brings up her past employer, with out prevocation she frowns and her posturle turns to defensive one and she narrows her eyes. "You are prying, either that or Jessica has been talking." She looks pensive for a full minute, obviously debating if she should get into this. Setting her glass down she gets to her feet and walks over to a small storage area where she grabs something wrapped in cloth. When she sets the item on the table, she lightly removes the fabric showing an antique corkscrew with in. It's very old, perharps early 18th century with hints of a family crest on it. Or at least that's what it had on it before it was defaced. A sharp object has cut gouges in the silver, and they successfully wrote the word whore on it.

"It was one of the few items my family brought over from France when we came to Quebec. It was trusted to me by my grandmother and it was obviously misplaced. Had he not ruined this, I could forget it, I could ignore his text messages." And as if on cue, her phone chrips again, but she ignores it.

Lucifer has posed:
The Bartender frowns and with all due reverence, takes the corkscrew from Ravenna's hands. He examines it with professional detachment, fingernail checking the edge of the silvered scratches to gauge their depth. One ear stays attentively perked to her words of complaint, and finally he flashes a small, sly smile at her.

"I wouldn't be much of a bartender if I didn't pay attention to people around me. Also, you left your phone on the counter and three messages from 'asshole ex' all rang in to various tunes."

"May I show this to a friend? It might be salvageable," the Bartender asks Ravenna, before setting it on the table.

"I won't pry into your business. I'm quite certain you can handle it yourself, and I'm sure Miss Jones would enjoy cutting loose, so to speak. But, if the situation starts to get out of hand... let me know," he suggests, making it more polite offer than demand.

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
Ravenna narrows her eyes when he mentions peeking at her phone and she shakes her head. "I blocked him earlier, he's now using someone elses phone. I had hoped that Jessica's warning would have worked, or that he'd get bored. But when he sets his mind to something." She sighs as she reaches for her glass and takes a long pull off of it. "It's my fault for sleeping with him to get the position."

When he offers to show it to a friend she shrugs. "It can't be ruined much more than it is. Have it. Just let me know how much it will cost." Frowning as the phone chrips again, she reaches forward and quickly shuts off the sound, letting the device fall to the table with a thud. It's the only bit of frustration she'es showing at th emoment. "He's mostly harmless. I've wounded his pride and ego, and he's convinced this place is a dump, so... honestly there isn't much he can do to Lux."

Lucifer has posed:
"It's been my experience that the only thing more dangerous than a cornered animal is a jilted former lover," the Bartender tells Ravenna. If he's shocked by her admission, it doesn't show-- either he's that open minded, or it's something he's encountered before in the industry.

"As I said-- it's not my intention to intrude," he assures her, holding up one hand. "Just... letting you know that if things get out of hand, you're not going to get sacked over a blowhard who's bitter that I outed his little underpay, overemployed scheme."

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
"I was the jilted one." Ravenna admits hesitantly before she sips from her glass again. "This was a different restaurant, he was in charge of hiring, and he told me someone else was also interviewing and I wanted get ahead of them. It obviously turned out poorly, especially after he opened his new place and worked his way through nearly every waitress on staff. Leaving him was easier than leaving the restaurant, because I had helped build it. Not that I regret the choice, I am thriving here instead of standing in his shadow there. Still, he thinks he made me what I am, and his fragile brian cannot handle thinking that I can survive with out his help."

She said more than she wanted to, and quickly shakes her ehad. "I'll let you know if it turns out to be more than grumpy text messages."

Lucifer has posed:
The Bartender seems to sense Ravenna's hesitance-- clearly this is something she's not inclined to speak about, and he's already pushed her perhaps too far. "Only if you wish to," he remidns Ravenna, once again. He rises smoothly and wraps the corkscrew up in the cloth it was stored in, carefully, and cradles it reverntly in his left hand.

"Try not to let it chew at you, Ravenna," he suggests, as he moves to the door. "As I said-- you're hardly the first person to come across my door with a past. I'm certainly not going to hold it against you," he says-- and there's that strange sense that he's not just being honest, he's being Truthful.

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
"That's easier said then done." Ravenna says dryly to his suggestion. As he takes the corkscrew and walks toward the door, she gets to her feet and gathers her things. She should get home after all, for that rest she'll need for tomorrow night. His words do bring a hint of comfort, knowing that whatever her Ex pulls it isn't going to reflect on her performance here. "Thank you." She says quietly. "I'll just clean up down here before I go."

She can't help but to check her phone, to see just waht those messages are saying. She does her best to not let it chew at her, and deletes several of them before it gets overwhelming. It isn't until much later that she realizes that the conversation has gone way off the path and that her question wasn't even close to being answered.