13597/It's five o'clocks somewhere...

It's five o'clocks somewhere...
Date of Scene:	06 July 2021
Location:	Lucifer's Penthouse, Melville
Synopsis:	Sockwars. And sobering revelations.
Cast of Characters:	Sinister, Dracula, Lucifer

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Sinister has posed:
In actual fact, it's late afternoon in Melville. The sun is up, bright sunshine and all that jazz, but not up here. Curtains got drawn when rest, if not actual sleep, was required and frankly, they haven't been drawn back today. Lucifer is not here, currently doing the office work down below, in preparation for the night -- shut on the 4th, the 5th was business as usual, as was the 6th. But no doubt he'll be back whenever he's finished.

For once, Sinister is enjoying a cocktail, a bloody mary in fact, sat in silk lounge-pants but nothing else, on the long leather couch, a couple of pillows arranged behind him to prop himself in the corner, reading over a large iPad affair, with stock reports and other such things scrolling past his eyes. It reflects on that ghost-white face in electric hues.

Dracula has posed:
With the curtains drawn, the room has shadows. And more importantly, it has no sunlight within it. These are things that Dracula happens to prefer. There is a slither of shadow that skitters across the floor, tendrils of it that quest into the air, writhing and wriggling like a tangle of headless snakes. The tangle of shadows grows, gathering into a shape that's roughly spherical, spreading and continuously in motion until it reaches beyond a man's waist in height. And once it is to such a size, it grows no further but continues to move.

There is, then, a sense of a presence appearing within that collection of shadows. The shadows swirl a touch quicker for a brief moment, then part and fall away to either side, dissipating gradually. And those shadows reveal a massive grey wolf that steps forward to stalk on nigh soundless steps towards where Sinister lounges upon the couch. The eyes of the wolf are dark brown, and there is a crimson flicker that shines within them. Ever fond of making an entrance of his own, is Vlad.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister tilts his head at the first tendrils of consciousness coalescing from there, to -here-. Thus, as the shadows continue to form, coagulate and grow round and pregnant with promise, his ruby gaze falls upon them and then: The wolf, the predator sneaking choice parts of little girls in red capes, making metaphor in myth to teach us all to be good little sheep or guess who will get you. "Well, hello there," Nathaniel casually moves his legs a little, to provide space for a lounging lupine, should the vampire decide to stake a claim there. He rests his tablet on his lap, crossing ankles.

"Lucifer's down in the office for the nonce, Vlad. This is a new one..." looking over the beast, it's not new, just novel to Sin. "I'd almost call you dire."

Dracula has posed:
Wherever he had been stalking prior to coming here, it was likely a place that was bathed in nighttime. Or perhaps it was a place where dawn had crept, which had caused him to bring himself to here for safe keeping. There were many places that he could go, many places that he does go, yet here was his choice. The company was oft divine and delightful, the space was lavish and comfortable, and he liked it. A snick, a click of claws upon the floor as he approached, and he paused briefly to shake himself off. He inclines his head towards Sinister at the words regarding Lucifer's whereabouts, and then he lightly steps up onto the couch to partake of the space that was made for him, a soft floomp accompanying the leather cushions having his weight cast upon them.

<< Aye, he is. Tending the various needs that business has. Your company is enjoyable to me as well. >> Sinister is intriguing and interesting and tastes good, though these are not the sole criteria for being enjoyable. << I suppose I ought dispense with the furs and reclaim a more human form. It is occassionally delightful to terrorize the sheep. >>

Sinister has posed:
Sinister holds up a single finger at that, reaching out to boop the snoot of Dracula, a'la Wolf. "I actually prefer this one for terrorizing the locals..." he murmurs, shifting in a mass of churning and sprouting to a gargantuan kodiak bear, though black as night. And currently sitting, because HE was sitting like that... like a giant teddy. He leans down again, to boop snoot to snoot. <<Or this one>> melting and shifting boop-to-snoot into the shape of a massive Anaconda. A forked tongue slips out <<Hiss.>>

And then once again melting into arms and legs and Sinister. "For reasons I've never really worked out, I never did wolf. I have been practicing werewolf, for a just-in-case scenario, but..." he shrugs "...as you like it. Man has more opposable thumbs. Can I pour you a pint of o-negative?"

Dracula has posed:
There's a finger that boops! His very snoot! Vlad stares down his nose towards the end of it as though this very thing happening is entirely alien. And it quite probably is! He chuffs a breath through his nose, then turns his dark gaze back to the man who did it. The booping of snoot to snoot is a thing that seems more acceptable somehow, of animal to animal, and there's a grin that comes to the lupine's features as the forms are shown. << Those would be very effective for terrorizing the sheep. Many of them have fears of both such creatures, though the latter seems more prevalent for some reason. >>

He tilts his head a touch to one side at the mention of werewolf, and there's a ripple that passes over the lupine form. There is a midway form he can adopt that is rather werewolf in appearance since it is half human and half wolf. << A half and half sort of appearance is... disturbing to the sheep as well. Opposable thumbs to tend to be useful, alas. >> This said before there is another ripple and he is fully human once more. Black hair, black button up shirt that's partially undone, black slacks, and nary a sign of shoes on his feet. "I would appreciate it, if it is not too much trouble," Vlad says, a smile quirking up the corners of his lips.

Sinister has posed:
"Let it be done then," KIcking up his legs, Sinister rolls himself fluidly to his feet, stooping afterwards to give a little kiss, complete with 'mwah' to Dracula and meanders to one of the cabinets, claiming a glass goblet. He glances up to the side, calling forth the ring of electricity and holds the goblet underneath it, as after a moment or two, hot, fresh blood pours through the portal. He angles the goblet as one would do to the pour of wine, coating the sides and preventing splatter until a generous drink hath been dispensed. A click of the fingers disperses the ring and he drifts smoothly back.

The goblet is held oh-so-gracefully on the tips of uplifted fingers, angled juuuuuuust so toward the vampire, Sinister's head tilted just so, to watch. "Did Samael tell you about my recent little adventure?" he asks.

Dracula has posed:
One of his feet moves to lightly rub against the other, black socks making soft sounds against one another as he does so. He willingly and perhaps a touch hungrily returns the kiss that's gifted to him, though he doesn't make any claims towards keeping the other man from his task. Vlad's gaze follows Sinister as he moves, and he quirks up an eyebrow as a ring of electricity appears. His curiosity is assuredly piqued! "Intriguing, that is. I find myself wondering if you have always kept blood on tap thus or if this is something that started to be done when I began keeping your company," he muses, curiosity in his voice.

Shifting his weight, he sits forward a touch and reaches out his left hand to brush his fingers against Sinister's during the process of claiming the goblet. "Thank you, my dear," he says in a warm tone, a smile easily coming to his features. As he settles back into the cushions of the couch, he lifts the goblet to take a drink from it. "Mmm? An adventure? I have not heard the tell of it, as of yet," he says softly, oe of his eyebrows quirking up.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister tips a fingernail forward, to tease just a little with the brush of fingertips and once the goblet is claimed, settles back in his position, rearranging so parts of separate bodies brush or overlap just a little. Toes, mostly. B'socked feet and bare ones. "I always had some blood on tap, but since I've made your aquaintence, I do make sure my stock is well fed and easily cannulated." His stock? Why of course. Getting comfortable once more, he switches off his iPad, setting it on a coffee table.

"Well," brushing digits over his lips fleetingly, he smiles at Dracula. "Nothing terribly extravagent, but it bares a little explanation: I have discovered I can work with inhuman /and/ immortal DNA with some success. I found myself wondering if I might provide a failsafe against accidental mishap on your behalf, Vlad. I think I might be able to reconstitute you considerably quicker than the average cultist."

Dracula has posed:
The dark eyes of the vampire half close at the teasing touch of the fingernail, and a smile curls at the corners of his lips. He lightly rubs one of his besocked feet against Sinister's, enjoying the warmth of the contact to his cooler self. "Mmm, I suspect it is likely quite a useful thing. I do appreciate that you keep them well fed, a well nourished source does make for a better meal," Vlad says, taking a moment to admire the hue of the blood in the glass. There's a smile that curls at the corners of his lips, and he brings the goblet to his lips once more to take a drink from it.

Vlad tilts his head a touch to one side, studying Sinister whilst he listens to the explanation. "Explain what you mean by 'with some success'," he asks, a flicker of curiosity reflecting in his voice. He shifts slightly, sitting up and paying a bit closer attention. "What means of a failsafe is it that you have in mind? And how would you be thinking of... reconstituting me should there be such a mishap?" he asks. Oh yes, his curiosity is assuredly piqued and solidly upon Sinister.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister shifts a little, sliding onto his side, back to the room and facing the back of the couch and therefore Vlad. He props his head on one hand, after flicking his hair back to fall to the floor. Now on his side, he plays with tootsies and actually with the sock too, attempting to pluck one off with big and index toe, a look of concentration on his face. "I was being modest. With total success, if there's actual DNA involved. You used to be a man, you will have DNA, even if it's dead. Dead doesn't actually pose a problem for me most of the time."

C'mere sock! "I suspect that I could clone you and gift you a body in a tank. Or a suspension chamber, shaped like an elaborate coffin, if that's more your style. You can put it somewhere trustworthy and if something happens, that deliciously deadly mind of yours can just slip on in to a waiting shell."

Dracula has posed:
One eyebrow quirks up as he feels the sock being toyed with, and the corners of his lips twitch just a little bit as it's done. And though he could very easily vanish the socks and ruin the game entirely, he doesn't -- he leaves them where they are. He likes the game. There's a soft sound that comes from him, and he gives a nod to agree with at least a part of what's been said. "Aye, once upon a time some centuries ago, I was a man. How useful my DNA might be, well... this, I do not know. I am no scientist in this regard, alas," Vlad says, a smile curling at the corners of his lips.

The sock does start to loosen and thus become tuggable. "I... am not certain how a clone would work. How would the essence of me go from being in a body that had incurred a mishap to being in a clone in a tank?" he asks, still assuredly intrigued at the notion. "This is a most interesting and appealing idea, I must admit. I have always harboured a rather sizable dislike for the process of recorporealizing from ashes. And it tends to leave me ravenous and out of sorts," Vlad comments. This might be a significant understatement on his part.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister inches a bit flatter, getting that look of concentration one gets when one is engaged in a tricky, but perhaps ultimately trivial game of sock theft. He angles his foot, attempting to get a better grip between toes to get a good tug up. Up! C'mon Sock! "Telepathic transfer. I could quite easily link your mind to the empty mind of the clone. If something happens to you, you'd be able to travel the psychic link all the way down, trivially." He murmurs this, lifting his leg yoga style and "HAH! Sock is mine!" He flicks it, catches it in one hand and drops it beside himself, working on the next.

"As I said, dead makes little difference to me. I can raise the dead, if I have to and your DNA isn't exactly decrepid, I can but assume. I haven't had a look."

Lucifer has posed:
The doors to the elevator that lead from Lux to Penthouse open and Lucifer steps from them. He looks a bit more than disheveled, has a bit of five o'clock stubble on his face, and those blue eyes are striking against tanned skin. As he further steps inside, and is greeted by the sight of Dracula sitting on his couch and Sinister behind, spies a sock-clad foot being messed with, and catches the tail end of a conversation - he smirks. "I must say, this is certainly a home coming I can get used to seeing." Offering just that as he moves to the couch.

He first greets Dracula with a tender kiss and a squeeze to the man's shoulder. He's been bereft of the Vampire Lord's presence for a bit so he gets first services. Then, walking around and behind the couch, he's likely about to interrupt whatever telekenetic foot-thievery Sinister is trying to perform by levitating himself those few inches the man has on him, to cup cheeks, whisper 'Hello Beloved' and then capture lips in a tender, but passionate kiss set to linger a moment. As the moment breaks, so does the kiss and then Lucifer turns and float-walks to the bar. "So what are you two deviants up to?"

Dracula has posed:
Shifting slightly, Vlad releases his goblet of blood in order to float it over to the coffee table and let it settle there. This is more interesting than the blood, it would seem, and it frees his hand. There's a quirk of a smile at the corners of his lips, and his dark eyes reflect a touch of amusement. And as the sock successfully removed, he tilts his head back and laughs, his dark eyes half closing. It would seem that he's enjoying this little game. He lets his head rest back on the couch cushion behind him for a moment, the words earning consideration. "Telepathic transfer," he says softly, weighing the notion. He gives a slight flick of his fingers, causing the removed sock to neatly loop around one of Sinister's wrists. Not entrapment, just toying with him.

"Mmm... and you would need a piece of flesh in order to have a look, I would expect. Blood will not do it," Vlad comments, a thoughtful note to his voice. "I am dead, I am not dead, I am... somewhere in the grey area in between," he says, giving a chuckle before lifting his head to look to Sinister. "I am keen on this idea of yours," he adds. His gaze drifts to Lucifer as the Devil enters the suite, and he quirks a smile. "It might be able to be arranged to occur more oft," he adds with a measure of amusement to his voice. The kiss offered is met and returned, and he lifts a hand to ruffle his fingers through the Devil's dark hair. "Playing footsie, of a sort. And someone has apparently been giving consideration to what happens when certain 'mishaps' occur to my physical self."

Sinister has posed:
"Hello daaahling," That when Lucifer indulges in his greetings to the Sinister member of this little trio, hands went to the neck and collarbone, sweeping the contours there with a little scratch of nails and a return of the kiss for as long as it lasted. He slides over the back of the couch afterwards, settling again into the horizontal lounging, applying his toes to stealing the other sock. No TK here, simply silly physical attempts of thievery, now with a sock wrapped around his wrist like a prize. At least it doesn't smell. NO such thing as cheesy feet, when you don't sweat.

The foot-play is once again yoga-style, plucking with his big and index toes, to tug fabric free. "I was discussing the possibility of insurance. Not much of a salesman, me, but I do have a relatively good pitch and an excellent track record. It would give me peace of mind to know that Vlad has a back-up Vlad in a coffin." He pauses a moment. "A psychically connected back-up, so he can transfer instantaneously."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer completely misses the removal of one sock with TK and the other with more physical adept skills. He makes himself a glass of whiskey and then float-walks back over towards the couch where now both of his lovers rest. A head tilt given as he considers while taking a sip of his drink and then he shifts around to where he can lay with his head in Drac's lap - which will allow him to look at Dracula if he's looking up and to Sinister with a simple turn of his head. His legs, ergo, dangle over the back of the couch where the L crooks.

"I see. Well, that would indeed serve a purpose, not that we ever want that purpose to arise. Vlad here always says it's a matter of 'when' and not 'if'." Lucifer has to keep his thoughts careful when talking of these matters. As he and Vlad have come up with one sort of safety feature, but it's a sort of 'for them only' ... or was before Nathaniel got close to the both of them. He still will not out the method - leaving that for Vlad to do (if he hasn't already). And just takes to lounging with his lovers. A flick of wrist and music begins to play. Something classical and melodic, just for background.

Dracula has posed:
There's a wriggle of his foot that's a teasing and not entirely committed attempt at perhaps keeping the sock that's on it. The flicker of amusement that shows in his dark eyes is likely a good indication that this sock will also be allowed to be won free, in time. The only scent to the sock is whatever lingers of the detergent and fabric softener used to wash it. Such a mundane sort of thing to think of the vampire having tended, and the detergent and such is one that has a very mild scent to it.

"Mmm, aye... physical insurance," Vlad says, giving a small nod. "If it prevents me from flying into a murderous rage of hunger once even a spark of life has returned to my physical self then it is a thing that is worthwhile. You both would be the ones likely nearest when such happens, and I assure you, I would drain the blood of both of you, permission or otherwise, in such a state," Vlad says, looking to Sinister before looking towards Lucifer. "There is a coffin set to be arriving the day after tomorrow. The soil two days past that. And it would work from no matter where in the world that I happened to be? The transfer?" he asks, looking towards Sinister with curiosity anew. It is a truly amazing suggestion. As Lucifer settles, Vlad lifts a hand to lightly trail and tease the fingers of one of his hands through the Devil's hair. "It is a matter of 'when', aye. There are always those who wish to eradicate me. They find me, then 'kill' me, I regenerate and then attempt to hunt them down to kill them. It has been happening for centuries," he comments.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister fights with the sock. He even cheats, adding an extra toe to get a better grip, chuckling at the game but soon that cotton footwear is stretching with the toe segment coming free and inevitably. "Aha! Victory is miiiiine!" foot in the air with sock dangling, he drops it in his lap and holds up his other arm, to create a secondary sock vambrace, under his own power. "Mine." Grinning, he then stretches his feet out so that bare toes can play with bare toes. That was the ENTIRE point of that, apparently; footsie.

"The psychic plane is not limited in the same way as the physical is, by distance. Sometimes not even by time itself. But that's complicated side effect and rather unimportant to this conversation." He gestures one hand in an arresting motion. "Yes. Anywhere in the world. Even if your psyche was anchored, the link would allow you to find your way through that anchorage." He eyes Lucifer a moment, then rolls his eyes to the ceiling and back, but the devil's privacies are his own and his lover's it's just amusing in the end, to Sin. "But Vlad? I would have all I need from a cheek swab and when grown, a moment of trust to link you with your other you."

Lucifer has posed:
"Mmn, I will be sure to look out for them specifically and get them where they are intended to be." Before anyone else sees them is implied in this interaction between the two. And since Vlad said that aloud, Lucifer turns his head to look towards Nathaniel. "We've set up a little safe space in the penthouse that not many can get to where when he gets offed, he can be raised from such 'death'," yes, air quotes are used, "and knowing he will be ravenous...I'd be his first meal." Fingers are felt in his hair then and Lucifer can't help but make a satisfied sound as his hair is mused with.

He listens as Nathaniel further explains how it might work with getting Vlad's mind into a cloned form of him. A clone that could be kept in the coffin perhaps. "How would the clone need to be preserved? Surely just laying it in a coffin and keeping it somewhere can't be...healthy? Beneficial?" He's not entirely certain how to word that. "Not that I am doubting your ability I'm just trying to think through the logistics of it? If the clone of Vlad and Vlad are linked, would we have to sustain the clone with regular feedings and such?" A flick of fingers and Lucifer is now attempting to get the Vlad socks free of Sin's wrists. All with a grin of course.

Dracula has posed:
There's a laugh from the vampire, and he winks at Sinister before pointing to the six-toed foot. "You cheated, my dear," he says, amusement to his voice. Then he snickers. "You are now thoroughly protected by the power of vampire socks," he adds, quirking a bit of a grin. Footsie is a very good reason to remove socks, and Vlad, it would seem, is of a mind to indulge by wriggling his now bare toes against Sinister's. "You have given much thought to this idea of yours, and I must admit a increasing fondness for it," he says in a thoughtful tone. He tilts his head, then gives a light laugh before feigning disappointment with a soft tsk of sound. "And here I was going to cut out a piece of my utterly black heart to put it in a box with a little bow and gift it to you," he says, a smile barely restrained. "Trust is not a thing that I find myself possessed of often, but I do find myself having it where you and Lucifer are concerned."

"Mmm... aye. They will arrive in plain wooden crates, and they will be marked with shipping labels from Romania," Vlad comments, in regards to the impending arrivals. "Were I to be raised in the traditional means, then it is best to have me... contained, somewhat. The room is effective as it must be teleported into or out of, and in such a state, I would not have the means of doing so," he says softly, a thoughtful tone in his voice. The fingers of one of his hands continue to lightly move through Lucifer's hair, teasing it this way and that way. "I wonder if the clone would simply live off of the soil, hmm? It is a catalyst, of sorts, for the regeneration that makes ashes back to this," he says, lifting his free hand to gesture towards himself. "A sort of suspended animation, if you will... perhaps."

Sinister has posed:
Sinister shakes his head slowly a few times, apparently VASTLY amused by this particular moment in time. He smiles, but the smile isn't condescending, it's more gleeful and touched, perhaps in some lights it might be considered a little patronizing. "Oh, you two are so Old school, it's precious," Sinister feels the telekinetic tug on his wrists and pulls against the devil's power, a back and forth a little bit, a play between the two. Mine! I claimed the cotton sox. ME, MYSELF AND I! He continues playing footsie with Dracula also, though the rest of the prince of Vampires is entirely Lucifer's to enjoy. Just the feet. Mine.

"Give me a few hours with the coffin and access to my tools, which frankly is all in my power anyway... and you will have a trigger mechanism on a stasis field, held interminably. I just need a little work and I can get the cold fusion technology working in the underbelly of it, so the clone will be fresh as a daisy interminably. No watering required. Like a bulb, dormant until activated." He waves a hand, holding his up for his bloody mary. Yep, he had a cocktail earlier and he still has one now, just changing it up a notch. He sips as it arrives.

"Science has come a long way and down from the stars. I made it my business over the last two centuries, to master everything that fell to earth and was born of terra firma. Why do you suppose I can teleport things by will of my mind? It's not a mutant power, it's technology."

Lucifer has posed:
<<Oh you little MINX!>> Lucifer sends to Nathaniel, pointedly looking at the man at the same time. He gives a more firm tug of his mental hold on those socks, and tries very hard to simply keep a smirk about him. Easily enough done because he's half distracted by the continued stroke of fingers through his hair by Vlad. One hand reaching to stroke against pale skin, to simply touch against his lover while his mind fights to win back socks. Of all things! And then he cheats with another flick of wrist to send two dancing flames - one on each of Sinister's wrists - to alight and twirl and inch ever closer to those sock-cuffs.

"Well that's interesting. I suppose if Vlad will allow you to visit the room where such things will be kept then I can grant you access so you can work on such a device." He offers this much while watching Sinister sip from his bloody mary, a brow raised at that. "Didn't feel like your typical brandy or scotch today, darling?" Looking to Sinister as he asks that. "Also, I happen to like keeping to Old School methods. In some regards. It feels a bit more homely and like I have my fingers digging into all things rather than relying on some machine doing most the work. Granted I see where it aids for most. Just not my thing I suppose." After all, he did have wounds stitched back together by the power of the machine - and a little bit of Sinister healing powers. He's yet to tell Vlad about that angelic attack.

Dracula has posed:
"I was born in the fifteenth century, my dear. Did you expect me to be new school?" Vlad asks, his tone amused and his dark eyes showing a sparkle to them. He notices the power struggle for the socks, and he can't help but to smirk, letting his fingertips drag across Lucifer's scalp. One set of his toes wriggles against Sinister's and seek to grab his big toe to playfully tug on it.

He inclines his head towards Sinister at the request. "You will have what time you need with it once it arrives, I will see it be so. Technology is a rather amazing thing, in regards to what all it is capable of doing," Vlad says, a smile curling at the corners of his lips. "Dormant until activated... quite a very useful thing. It amazes me that such a thing is possible, to create a clone and have it behave in such a manner, awaiting possession, of a sort," he says with a smile. "You know a great deal more about the sciences than what I likely ever will," he adds, giving a soft chuckle. He lifts his free hand, retrieving his glass of blood in order to take a drink of it. His gaze falls to Lucifer, and he gives a nod. "I will allow him to visit the room, and to have access to work on it. It could well mean that I will not have to suffer through the difficult days and moods that come after regenerating back to a physical form from ashes," he comments, pleased by this idea. Then he looks to Sinister and winks. "I teleport things through shadows."

Sinister has posed:
Sinister playfully tugs a few more times against the TK struggle, until the flames and the words that follow them. He gazes at Lucifer for a long while, as the fire flicks closer around and around his wrists, eventually releasing both socks in a total catapult manoever, that sends both cotton footwear to hit Lucifer in the face. BOOF, BOOF! You win the socks. A few moments of footsie later and he rolls himself off of the couch, taking a few steps across the carpet and standing, gazing at the passageway to the bathroom. About three seconds total, then he turns about and walks back so that he's looming over Lucifer and Vlad.

"Lucifer Morningstar, you need to stop this. Right here, right now." He says with a point to the archangel's nose, looking at Vlad apologetically and back at the devil. "Just stop it," but of course this makes little sense at all. What is going on, here?

He looks to Vlad, inclines his head there. "Thank you, for the permission and the acceptance. I would actually be very happy to show you a few of the things in modern technology that might help in your castle, if you like. You do not dismiss it out of hand, and I'm pretty sure having a roomba and even a hover-roomba in your alchemical labs, would be very handy. I also have quite a bit of zero point technology that I would -really- like to add to your keep, if you will permit me to visit and examine how I can bring you up to date and provide extra protection." He glances sidelong at Lucifer here, then back to the vampire. "You're very charming and I like you." As if that's an aside.

Then back at Lucifer. "You are the glue in the middle of this. I /like/ Tepeshku dracul. And I drink Cognac! I have every time other than when we have whiskey together. And just because it's new fangled, does not mean it is not exceptionally useful in a triangle of love that centers around you. Maybe I should just let you handle everything yourself, but dammit, here I go trying to be a partner." HE looks at Vlad again. "Sorry about this." And back to Lucifer. "Which /does/ mean that if it matters to you, which Vlad does, it matters to me, which he also does and why would I need /permission/ to help him out? Huh?"

He flaps hands at his sides. "YOu stole my socks, They were mine and Vlad and I had fun with them!"

Lucifer has posed:
The dancing flames disappear almost as quickly as they appeared when the socks are relinquished in a catapult fling to hit Lucifer in the face. Lucifer actually chuckles for a moment, about to look over the socks, knowing Sinister has paced away a moment when suddenly he has a Nathaniel looking over him, pointing a finger in his face.

"...I...what did I do?" Asking this, confused and concerned, to the point that he sits himself up and shuffles away from Vlad, tossing the socks onto the seat next to the vampire lord.

Which ends up being all well and good since Sinister offers another round of suggestions to Vlad, which Lucifer says nothing about. The Keep is Vlad's to do with as he pleases, obviously. The only thing Lucifer was concerned with was the room where he is going to be keeping certain things. He had made a promise to keep it secret and safe, and having not been relinquished from that promise, it was Vlad's to decide.

Then Sinister is addressing him again and Lucifer's brows furrow just a bit. "I never said it WASN'T... I even said that for some it fits, and it works. Did I need to exclusively say you for you to actually take it to heart?" He looks between Vlad and Sinister a moment. "Also, it was less you needed permission and more that I did. It's *I* who had the promise with Vlad to keep that room secret and safe. A pact, with me, has certain limitations that I cannot break unless given permission to. It's a thing. I deal with it. It's what making pacts, and bonds, and promises with me entails no matter who you are." There's a pause then, and he shrugs.

"So have your socks back." He offers then, picking up his whiskey to then stand and moves to the floor to ceiling windows near where the piano is. He hasn't gotten the balancing act right when he has both lovers in his home, he knows this, but it's hard.

Dracula has posed:
There's a brow-quirk, and Vlad's dark gaze follows the slingshot of socks from one to the other of them. Then he laughs, the sound light. He winks at Sinister, and it takes a brief moment before a fresh pair of black socks slithers around his wrists anew, making a soft hiss of sound as they momentarily appear as small anacondas before reverting back to socks. He lifts the goblet of blood, taking a drink of it.

As Sinister approaches Lucifer and there's a sort of face off between the pair of them, Vlad tilts his head a touch to one side. He looks from one of them to the other of them, studying each in turn. And he does wonder just what is going on. He inclines his head slightly towards Sinister at the apologetic look he earned from him.

"You are most welcome, Nathaniel," he says softly, a smile turning at the corners of his lips. "Technology is the way things are. To brush it aside as though it was not useful or did not exist would be foolish. I look forward to what you have to share, and I will have to take you to the keep to see it," he says, a thoughtful tone to his voice. "The keep is likely rather out of date, where technology is concerned. Not so much compared to when it was first built, but based on today's standards," he comments. One of his eyebrows quirks a touch at the compliment he's paid, and he inclines his head towards Sinister. "I find you charming as well, and I am also fond of you," he says softly.

"There is no apology that is necessary," Vlad says, glacing from one to the other of them with a bit of curiosity. "Though I will point out that the secrecy of the room was for the purpose of mine own safety, should a mishap, as you call it, happen to come to pass. He would not seek to tread upon that sense of privacy without my say so, especially as it would mean breaking his word to me. There was a promise involved. There are those who believe certain falsehoods in regards to when I am dead and I prefer that those falsehoods are kept intact amongst the general masses. A select few are given knowledge as to the actual truth of things," he says softly.

Shifting his position, he sits up and has another drink of his glass of blood, and the he smoothly crosses his leg at the knee. He looks to Lucifer and arches an eyebrow. "Peace, Lucifer. He did not know of the promise betwixt us," he says, shifting his gaze back to Sinister.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister's eyebrows elevate just a little during the rebuttal from Lucifer and the explanation from Vladimir. By the end of it, with Vlad's final 'betwixt us' his face has settled on an impassive calm. And for those with a mindlink to him direct, there is a stone wall, impenetrable. Nothing can be read, at all. What was there had been cut off sharply. "All very reasonable, I quite understand," he says conversationally, smiling to Vlad and nodding formally to Lucifer. He dismisses the sock cuffs though, a wave of both wrists having the socks tumble downward, then a thought have them whisked back to the couch.

"I love you, Samael." He states this, then bows to VLadimir, finishing his bloody mary and sending it toward the sink. He then walks toward the washroom and never comes out.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer downs the rest of his whiskey, carefully placing the glass on the piano's edge where he can. That sharp cut off actually makes the Devil wince a bit, but only that. A slight turn of his head gives him the advantage of hearing those steps towards the washroom that do not return and upon turning to find only Vlad still sitting, he takes a deep breath.

Slow steps carry him across from the piano nook to the sitting area where he turns a blue gaze to Vlad. "Amazing how quickly I can make a mess of things..." He says and then looks towards the back rooms where washroom and bedroom are located. But the cut off proves that Sinister likely wishes no company in the moment. If he even is still within the penthouse proper.

He cannot think of anything more to say. There's words spinning in his mind but they simply cannot come out. So, silently, he continues to cross the room until he reaches the elevator but no sound comes from it's calling. Though there's also no sign of Lucifer in the penthouse any longer either.