13609/Mirror, Mirror

Mirror, Mirror
Date of Scene:	10 July 2021
Location:	Lucifer's Penthouse, Melville
Synopsis:	Observations on self-image and biology, and a prisoner released from Mind.
Cast of Characters:	Sinister, Lucifer

---

Sinister has posed:
Minx. Pfff.

Confusion has a flavour though and there's a certain amount of empathy involved when it revolves around the deadly idiot. That was then though. Distraction is potent, when it can come in Baskin Robbins flavours. At some point or another, work got done though -- first on iPad, making sure assets are managed from afar and then some time attending to in-person kinds of events, before leisure time. All in all, it took the better part of twenty four hours before quality time Chez Luci could resume.

A bit of conversation, a bit of fun, a lot of improving emotional connection and a mad desire to re-order the bathroom a little bit for ease of access on beauty products later, left Sinister standing infront of the tall mirrors, wearing a sarrong of a towel, eyeing himself sidelong in the reflection. "You know.... I think my self-image has changed."

Lucifer has posed:
It's very likely that Lucifer will *never* actually call upon one Wade Wilson to cash in that favor. It's just nice to know he has something to hold over that Merc's head for the better part of whenever he leaves this mortal coil. He figures Deadpool doesn't even give a shit that he has a pact with the Devil now, won't even look over his shoulders twice to wonder when he might be cashed in. Ah well.

To each their own.

For the better part of that twenty four hour time span without Sinister, Lucifer would get a good portion of his own work done. Taxes paid, payroll sorted, schedules and the like. It's not all whiskey and good times when you run your own business. There's a lot to be done in the background and Lucifer likes to ensure that it's all done by his own hands so he knows it's done correctly.

Then Sinister returns. Conversations are held, fun is had, improving emotional connections and then...the man re-organizes the bathroom. Lucifer allows this. Barely. Mess with his own world of disorganized chaos will you! Harumph! Still, he comes up behind his toweled lover, watching the profile reflection he stands in. "Do you? In a good way or a bad way?"

Sinister has posed:
It's actually remarkably intuitive, what occured in the bathroom. The reach-fors are all in logical grab range, but neat and tidy, as the penthouse tends to be. For a being that lives in disorganized chaos (ahaha) that smoke-and-mirror doesn't hold as much water as the bathtub! It just perhaps is less about the aesthetic and more about the functionality of going for the toner, before you go for the aftershave.

Placing his hands on his hips as he stands sidelong to the reflection, red eyes meet dark blues in the surface. "I think so? Good. Unless this is bad..." who knows just how minutely things are paid attention to, but the manscaping, that is to say the contours and self-care appearance has improved. Nathaniel Essex had a strong physique, a top-form athlete physique. But it looks a little more smoothed and sculpted, less hours-in-the-gym and overly masculine. Metro-sexual, perhaps? It's a weird thing to observe and have highlighted, for sure and certain and thus probably why it's caught Sinister's attention in the manner it has. "Do I look more... I'm struggling for the words here. Help me out..." modelesque? Svelte? Movie-star quality? "...Dandy, to you?" Not one that leapt to mind as the frontrunner of descriptors.

Lucifer has posed:
Yes, a place for everything and everything in it's place. Poor Luci will just have to find somewhere else to make chaotic for his black little heart. It's fine. Really. He actually adores what Sin's done to the bathroom. Functionality is key so that one grabs the toothpaste and not the hemorrhoid cream.

"You look ravishingly handsome. With a sort of... je ne sais quoi... I like it. It looks very good on you." Lucifer offers and then sort of turns his own head left and right. "I'm beginning to wonder if I should clean myself up a bit as well. I probably shouldn't always look like I don't do anything to my face..." Arms then shift to wrap around Sinister from behind and Lucifer noses and then kisses into the neck of the man. "Dandy is one word...Dashing perhaps?"

Sinister has posed:
The very thought that there might be hemorrhoid cream in THIS bathroom makes the mind boggle. But the zinc does other things sometimes, too. It has multiple purposes. But not as a toothpaste, this is true.

Turning his head to the side, that long black hair moves like he spent a fortune for the good stuff at an elite salon. Get a wind machine it would be picture perfect every damn time. A hand is lifted though as he leans back just slightly, touching fingernails to stubble and making no voice at all, for he doesn't need to with the sandpaper scratch. "Maybe grooming it a little. I like it though. I can rock the scruffy when needed, also." His other hand is placed atop the devil's forearm about himself his gaze on his reflection still critical. "Dashing? Not one of my regular adjectives, if I were to try and define myself in such a manner." He exhales, resting his head back and turning so he's face on to himself and Lucifer in the frame of silver and glass.

"I tested my genome today when I was back at the lab. Complete success, the infusion took unilaterally. I am, as of now, officially spliced. But it does take a while for the after effects of the entirety of that to be made manifest. I think I'm still changing morphically. Which is interesting. I haven't had a true metamorphosis for close to a hundred years."

Lucifer has posed:
"A little... just cutting back the stubble a bit. Maybe giving it a sort of shape to look like I do take time to do something about it." Lucifer offers, even as he enjoys the silent scritching of fingernails against the stubble. Eyes meet in the mirror once more and as Sinister claims that 'dashing' is not in his list of adjectives, Lucifer gives a slight shrug. "Maybe you should include it. Dashing isn't a bad word. I kind of like it...especially because it's not so commonly used anymore." This with a grin before he noses against his lover once more before locking eyes in the mirror again.

Then Sinister is explaining something about his genome. And how something was a success. The infusion. He tries to follow along, but really, he gets a little lost and tries to circle back around to make some sense out of what Sinister is saying. "My dearest. Pretend I'm still the one with a whole bunch of 'for dummies' books on their nightstand. Then pretend you have to talk to me like I actually need those books because I am - for this subject matter - an absolute dummy. Care to translate all of that for me one more time?"

Sinister has posed:
"Yes, that would work very well, I think. A certain gradient of stubble, shaped around the edges, like you took the time and effort to keep yourself in perfectly scruffy devlishness," A few more scritches against cheek and a smooth of arm and Sin reaches behind himself, folding his wrists loosely at the small of Lucifer's back, creating a rather lovely angle of his shoulders and the dip where the muscle succumbs to the structure of bone at the collar. It lengthens the neck, defines the pectorals and when he rests his head back again, creates aaaaaaaaall kinds of the right tensions. It's like he knows physiology like the back of his hand, or something. He does not break eye contact with Mirror-Lucifer, either.

"A retrovirus is a very quick devil of an organism. When it's tasked to do the same work as a steroid, it does it far quicker... taking whatever viral load, or genetic material you want, right into the cells. It takes with it the cleverness to replicate itself and cause cascade activity on a systemic level. That is, the entire of a life system. And in my case, all systems, as I wanted every cell touched by the information I had encoded into the virus. The bit that was you. The reason I ended up with wings... by the by, that is also the first time in a long while I had no choice in a transformation. I could not control that and it was rather exhilerating as a result." He grins at the mirror.

"So the initial response was to expell the material it was designed to replace. Hence the flaming vomit, I suspect. The bit that was you, did not like the bit that was the imposter. It reacted like a white blood cell and I caught fire."

....

Lucifer has posed:
As Sinister speaks on how Lucifer could shape his stubble around the edges, but still keep that scruffy devilish appearance, he chuckles softly. Then there's the way the man folds himself. Arms back around, body leaned back in such a way, muscles stretching and tensing in all the right little spaces. He keeps his gaze on the Sin in the mirror, and gives a cheeky little grin. "If only I had a camera installed in the mirror or something. I'd love to have this right here captured as a moment..." He offers softly.

Then Sinister is explaining things a bit more, in a way that Lucifer can sort of follow. The virus that Lucifer injected him with, that held the immortal angel's DNA, that he has been getting shit for every so often, had replaced all of Sin's other cells. Hence the wings, and the fire vomit that resulted in the very lining of Sin's stomach to be expelled out of his person. A complete recoding of the man he sees before him, yet somehow he retains his physical appearance - but that might not be a surprise itself. Since they can both shapeshift anyway.

"Ah. I think I get it now. Maybe not entirely...but I understand enough." Then he sort of flushes. "I feel a bit embarrased that I do not mostly understand quite what it is you do...I just know I enjoy that you enjoy it." A pause. "At least I think you do..."

Sinister has posed:
Ahh, but there's a lot of other genomes on the genes of the human chromosome that define other things, dear devil. He did not make himself /into/ you, just borrowed the right part and had it gifted to him voluntarily, with a hypospray given by your own volition. You never know, it might not even have worked had there not been the choice involved in giving it.

Sinister stares at the mirror in this moment, as Lucifer shares his thoughts on mirror cameras. All he says is: "**CLICK**" and grins with it. A deep breath into his lungs is taken, sucking on his cheeks and showing off that high bone structure with it. "The after-effects of a retrovirus take weeks to months to manifest all of what they wrought. A little quicker, because I am who I am. But entire metabolic and morphic characteristics take a little longer than immediate, to show thier work. I am now looking at... well... I think I'm looking at and so are you because you're right -there-... my biology working upon a new blueprint. We have added new instructions, the little ants are busy scurrying around, changing bits and bobs in the hive of me. I think you like a more aah... dashing physiology than I was naturally born to. Well, mostly born to. Other things have had their effect. I got rugged thanks to the genome of Thunderbird." He lowers his lashes at that.

"That was an interesting time. All physical, so it didn't cause issue. I'm sure his brother probably isn't happy about me carrying a little bit of him with me." The toothbrush lifts, as he's not inclined to move himself from how he's positioned, gesturing at various genetic characteristics on his person with the end of it, floating telekinetically. "Native american physical traits." Mostly around the eyes and facial features, truthfully. The hint of the siberakh asian.

"If you really think about it, you probably would get a defiant kick. You facilitate me playing god."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer raises a brow as Sinister says 'Click' but then softly chuckles. Very likely that Sinister could - even on a whim - come up with a way to take a picture of a moment. "Well...looks are only one part of you...and really, as much as I find you handsome...that is from a variety of things and not just." He explains, feeling a bit beside himself explaining it that way. Especially since he gets the whole most beautiful of all the angels card, but that doesn't mean looks are all he's about.

Still, he listens to all that Sinister has to say about it. That they're both looking at his blueprint change, probably in some way they're looking at it in real time. Lucifer just nods his head along with what the man says and explains, smiling at some of it and holding the man a bit tighter by the end of it all. "I got kicked for letting you play god. A few times. It's fine."

Sinister has posed:
"You aren't the only one. But I suppose you were the one most directly punted up the backside. Speaking of, do we have a release date for my incumbant guest?" Sinister queries this with another slow blink of lashes. "He's been quite useful, I must admit. And I probably should caution you, that you are an inherantly good force in the universe and that I am arguably a bad one. He insists. I think he was trying to convince himself, to be honest..."

Sinister falls silent after this, his lips pressing a little firmer than is usual. But Lucifer's got a reasonable read on his mood and emotional state in the time that he's known Sinister. This is one of those times he's listening to some of the voices that aren't strictly here.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer actually laughs out loud at that one and then shakes his head. "How in hell am I a good force in the universe? Even if what I did to be cast out was in the best interest of mankind. I still feed off their diabolical acts. Their sins. And I relish in the torturing of their souls for eternity." He offers this and then shakes his head. "Anyway, didn't we agree on a week? It's likely been about that long. Perhaps even a touch longer... should probably consider letting him out at some point in the near future."

There's a watch of that change in facial expression, but when he determines that Sinister is just having internal conversations of a sort, he doesn't seem so concerned. Except he might be reading Sinister wrong, but he doesn't think that he is. "So, how long are we going to pose in the mirror? Do you want me to get us some drinks and we can relax on the couch. Or in bed?"

Sinister has posed:
Sinister blinks a few times and finally releases his 'pose' in the mirror, looking a little lost for a moment in reflection. "Oh, yes, about that long now. Feels like longer on those other parts of me. They've been busy little bees they have," he contemplates, glancing at the bathroom door. "Actually do you have a purple wand in your stash of toys? What a silly question. Of course you do." He blinks a few times, smiles and apparently locked whatever was going on, well away. "Couch or bed. Hmm. Choices, choices. Bed. It's always a good bet, on the bed. Whatever you fancy in indulging in..."

Now that it's been brought up, even the way Sinister walks has a greater grace to it; not the most beautiful, but the one you might want to emmulate, if you were to be the kind that snags the eye and forces it to watch hips move. Subtle things, but poignant things. Real time transformative actions.

He lingers beside Lucifer's cellphone as they walk out of the bathroom space though, hovering a fingertip over the screen. The screen scrambles a moment or two, the LCD display having conniptions, before three photographs 'scroll' in snapshot mode across the screen: Lucifer in the grass as he truly is, though framed in hands so wings do not show more than a fringe of white. Seen through another's eyes -- the next Earth-rise from orbit, similarly framed in hands, a blue apple in space lonely but powerful and last the mirror's reflection with eyes that look into the camera's heart. Transferred with naught but thought an intent.

Lucifer has posed:
Well, now, it's very likely Lucifer has a few 'wands' in his collection of toys, and it so happens that some of those wands might be purple in color. He figures the man is more talking about perhaps a bewitching wand, however, and not something of a more...dabolical style. "Do you need me to get said purple wand?" Asking this much before he smirks when the man decides that they will lounge in the bed. With whatever Lucifer fancies to indulge in.

Well now...

He takes a moment to watch the way Sinister walks, with that sort of elegant grace - or at least a touch of. It makes him smile all the more, simply watching his lover walk. It's interesting, especially considering what might be putting the swag in his stagger.

A drink is chosen, the bottle of and two glasses which he levitates to come float next to him and then he shifts to walk back to the bedroom. "I think tonight it shall be cognac." He offers, tilting his head since he's seeing the last bit of whatever it is Sinister is doing to his phone. He'll likely check later to see what was done. "So, we're going to release our angelic prisoner then?" Asking this much more while he shifts to climb into bed.

Sinister has posed:
"It would be nice. I can't do electro-torture on you without one," Sinister replies with a sly smile. "I do love that kind. So stimulating. I occasionally do it to myself, after a long day... I do love it when a therapeutic device ends up finding a more entertaining use."

It seems his steps were not something he was yet aware of and the look thusly shot toward him, has him looking down at his legs in bath-towel. It spurs a laugh and little else besides. Darkness surrounds the dias of the bed, through the panes of glass that reflect the never-sleep of New york city, the orange glow is a strange halo to the skirting, reflecting also in skin, Sinister inhales deep at the mention of cognac. "A vice first learned has a tendancy to linger. I appreciate that. I don't know if I ought release tonight, or make a spectacle of it with some preparation tomorrow. You destroyed Zelgos' body, but you angelic types are resilient."

Lucifer has posed:
"Oh. Well then..." Lucifer almost goes speechless in the moment, perhaps not only with the general idea in mind but then thinking about it as well. Thoughts likely don't do it justice, and so he shakes his head a little with a grin on his lips. A gesture of hand sets the purple wand onto one of the night stands in the bedroom as he gathers drinks for them.

"Ha, yes, turned it to dust and threw it in a vase. It's just there for safe keeping..." Lucifer offers then with a grin. "I can gather it whenever you are ready. Though the idea of making a spectacle of it does have a nice ring to it." A pause. "You are right, also, in that we're resilient. I could still destroy his body completely. Put it back together, roll it into a chasm and it'll be gone. Then he'll just return from whence he came once he's released." A thought. "Suppose that all depends on if we'd want a conversation with him upon his release or if you're satisfied enough and just want to send him on his merry."

Sinister has posed:
Sinister looks at the device with a small, but altogether wicked twist of lip that could be considered sly in casual society. Here, it's practically /intent/! Nevertheless, he strokes the handle of the wand and guages the box with its dials, fiddling a little so it's at the levels he wants it at, prepared and ready. The cognac is taken in hand as it's offered, lifted with a nod as he settles himself on the edge of the bed, the towel somehow not giving up the ghost, by some miracle of tucking. He sips before he replies, gaze steady as a bead on Lucifer. Watching. Every. Second.

"It's liable to be interesting to see if I've had any effect on the unfortunate sod, I dare say. But do you have choice words? I'm sure you do. You let him have it with your geneticist, after all." He winks.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer grins a little and then shrugs his shoulders slightly. "I said all I wanted to before. Giving him to you was payback for the wounds he inflicted upon me. I really have nothing left for him. I would like to see, as well, if you had any effect on him but otherwise... I'd more just see him go home than deal with him any longer." By the end of his little speech it's obvious Lucifer is likely tired - at the moment - of dealing with angels and their zealous acts of wanting to prove their worth. His gaze does go to the wand and box after having noticed Sinister fiddling with it and he smirks. "Mmn, we're a bit uneven at the moment. You in just your towel and wicked good looks and me still.." He looks himself over. "Mostly dressed." Button up shirt and trousers, his suit jacket likely having been tossed aside at some point. And a tie.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister mmmmmmms, looking at himself with a casual kind of glance. "I would say I have the advantage, wouldn't you?" -- his cognac is sipped again, then tossed back and set aside, lifting a hand like a lady, back facing the ceiling and wiggling fingers at Lucifer.

"Let me just get rid of the interloper, hmm?" provided he is able to lure the devil closer, his eyes shut and the world takes on a very slightly 'other' hue that the archangel is very familiar with now: the watercolour world of the psyche and proximal Astral plane. He merely gestures with his free hand and the wand he still holds in it, at an open spot of floor, discharging the mind of Zelgos into that spot. "If you have anything to say, I'd say it now and then, bugger off and think about what you've wrought." He drolly comments offhand. "We have other business to attend."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer sips at his own glass of cognac while watching Sinister for a few moments. "I think in many ways you do have the advantage, yes..." He does slip a little closer to Sinister, reaching a hand to brush fingers through that perfect head of hair - since he's still standing.

There's a moment that he watches once Sinister makes mention to get rid of the interloper. Perhaps there's been enough of letting Zelgos deal with listening to the pleasures the two lovers enjoy with each other. As the man gestures, and Zelgos is released there is nothing more than a whimper of sound. No words, no argument, and then it is clear that the mind of Zelgos is gone. Doesn't even want his ashes back. Just pulls a disappearing act. Lucifer doesn't seem surprised by this, but maybe slightly amused. "Not even a thank you for being released... moron." He murmurs and then leans over to kiss the top of Sinister's head, fingers still brushing hair. "Actually, I take back what I said before. I think I might have a bit of advantage, standing here while you sit in your little towel-skirt..."

Sinister has posed:
Grooming pays off, ooooh yes. Tilting his head cat-like to the touch, the wand in hand is lowered to his knee, as is the other wrist dropped to lap. Listening to the tantamount nothing that was offered by his former prisoner of mind, he laughs voicelessly and simply eases into the brushstrokes. Having one's hair played with, definitely a plus on the enjoyment scale. The world returns to normality as he stops concentrating on such things, looking up with hooded regard at his lover.

Forced to watch and endure? That might have happened. A lot of other things happened too, who knows if they'll ever see THAT one again.

"Only a bit?" is said with a lofted brow, chin lifted in challenge. The purple wand kicks on, plasma dancing around the end of the paddle, little pops and crackles arcing in the air.

Lucifer has posed:
Running fingers through perfectly groomed hair is a luxury experience. Lucifer intends to take advantage of such luxury for as long as he can. Even as the mind of Zelgos is there and gone again, he doesn't seem to react too much to it. More focused on his lover in the moment than any one trick angel pony. As the world returns to normal, he takes a moment to tug on those hair strands to pull Sinister's head back enough to capture lips in a tender and passionate kiss which he holds for a moment.

Once released, and comments are made about who has the advantage where, his eyes sparkle with a bit of humor. "Well. Only a bit, yes. You are the one holding the wand. I am merely the one with fingers in your hair..." Precarious, in a sense, and Lucifer even chuckles a bit. When the wand turns on and he hears those pops and crackles of plasma energy, there might be a little shiver that courses through the archangel's form. "Well now...I suppose we're about to truly see who actually has an advantage..."