13899/Savage Lands ch. 3 - Bird's eye view

Savage Lands ch. 3 - Bird's eye view
Date of Scene:	21 October 2021
Location:	Essex Institute - Savage Lands, Antarctica
Synopsis:	Sin let the maudlin curmudgeon out and he got himself mildly drunk, on purpose. But the Savage lands has a new pair of eyeballs keeping an eye on it, out of the bargain.
Cast of Characters:	Sinister, Lucifer

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Sinister has posed:
There are no locked doors to the guests of the Essex Institute in the savage lands. So, the Devil and his Dark prince were free to literally explore anywhere and everywhere, throughout the biodome and laboratories and living quarters with all access.

Evening rolls around though, the robots puttering about, cleaning what must be cleaned and switching various machinery on in the biodome, sending out sprays to keep the humidity levels up, irrigating certain landscapes and providing extra food in little baubles and release boxes around the place. Small dinosaurs shared the function of insects in pollinating, it seems but they're not exclusively nectar eaters. Compies are rather colourful little fellas, the size of a chicken and curious - omnivorous like the creatures they ended up becoming, perhaps. THey probably taste the same!

Sinister can be found though, sitting on the highest point of the plateau, drinking straight out of the bottle and looking out over the point where the day surrenders to the night, the different migrations and the lights that pop up here and there across the landscape, where man cleaves to fire.

Lucifer has posed:
Likely a slight advantage was taken, having the whole of the facilities open to them for the exploring, to do just that. Lucifer spends a bit of time in the biodome, walking around, taking things in, remembering all the different flora and any fauna that are free within the dome itself. Another round at the lowest level to watch the sea creatures swim, giving them a ponder as they're the last of their own kind so what happens when they finally perish?

The one thing that he won't do within the facility anywhere is smoke. He reserves that for outside the facility in the technical fresh air of the outside world. And this evening is no different when he fancies a cigarette, to come out and walk around a bit, have a glimpse at all there is to see. It's then that he spies the figure at the highest point of the plateau and his head tilts curiously. Forgoing lighting up a moment to flare wings giving him the second quickest measurement of speed and time to reach that point, landing just behind and approaching slow. "Nathaniel?" The bottle eyed a moment before he looks the man over entirely. "Are you alright?"

Sinister has posed:
Sinister takes a good pull of the liquor as a blink and a flurry of the sound of feathers takes the fallen one from the biodome's outside entrance up to the rocky promontary that affords this spectacle for the eyes. He drags his hand over his lips, resting the bottle beside him, fingers loosely holding the neck captive at a seventy degree angle. It smells like dark rum, not his usual fare. "Bally marvellous isn't it? Find the land that time forgot and what does it have? People in it. Then there's ruddy decades that go by, humming and hahing and fighting over it like the carving out of Africa, before you finally get fed up of all that nonsense and give the right ears a thorough what for. I liked Africa, too. Got lost in the congo a few times, found a whole lot of viral vectors in there, some of which I still use. And my golden-key bacteriophages..." he chuckles "...they'd hve raped it and destroyed it all. All that wealth and not a scrap of it could be strip-mined, broken down, cracked and parcelled off to consumer sheep."

He looks over his shoulder toward Lucifer, chuckles again, though dry and looks back. "The curmudgeon is out in my head."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer listens, but he raises a brow after a moment and then shifts forward to sit beside Nathaniel. "Okay, lets back up just a moment. Is this the land that time forgot? Or is it somewhere in Africa?" He asks this much before seeming to think on things a bit. "Otherwise, I'm not sure how to really respond. Assuming you literally mean in Africa then I further have to assume there's a sort of native tribe within the land found and therefore makes it unclaimable." He furthers. "Which does indeed suck... but...was this a recent thing?" Oh the poor slightly confused Devil.

Sinister has posed:
"Oh, I think you were probably being busy at the time, with other things. The Dark continent's current problems are a good deal of them to do with the fact that European conquerors, the British, the Dutch, Belgians, French, Germans... they carved up the spoils of Africa during my lifetime and divided the riches. They almost tried to do the same thing here," he gestures out over the reminents of Pangea, looking at the flocks of Pteranodon returning to their roosts after a day of catching small and terrified mammals, fish and reptiles. "The british, the americans, other world powers when they discovered it, also. It took them nearly a century after the accidental discovery of it in 1915, to decide that they shouldn't be making it Africa 2.0 and designated it a heritage site for the world... which the world does not know about. The trouble is with democracy, sometimes, it's disagreeable when people disagree with things and I've found it wise to bend ears a time or two. Else, we'd be looking at strip mines and Dino burger preparation plants, great hunters bagging their prized raptor trophy and a general mess."

Apparently, looking at the unspoiled put him in a bad mood? Or something else did and it just got soured up and require libation with dark rum.

"I apologize... I'm being a terrible host and a debbie downer. Did you enjoy the day?"

Lucifer has posed:
Sometimes Lucifer thinks it's best to just let Nathaniel rant on things that he, personally, doesn't quite understand. Like he gets it on a surface level, beurocracy and the like, things trying to destroy that which is now protected. Still, he doesn't understand why it's suddenly put Nathaniel in a bad mood - bad enough that the man is drinking dark rum straight from the bottle. Which is another thing...

"The day was well. Spent a lot of it just wandering around and keeping to myself. Watching swimmers and cataloging the biodome in my head." He offers this. "Also, you're not being a terrible host. I don't expect you to be there to wait on me hand and foot, nor do I think anyone else does. Also...why rum instead of cognac?"

Sinister has posed:
"You savour cognac. You down rum. Ask any pirate..." Sinister replies, taking another pull and grimacing as he swallows. "I'm glad of that though, erm. I'd hate to think I've abandoned my manners -entirely-," he reaches into his jacket pocket though, light as it is and mostly to stop being annoyed by biting insects... and withdraws his cigarettes. He flips open the case and holds the offering out to Lucifer, selecting one to put butt to lips for himself, afterwards. Maybe he can sense the confusions with that slightly dulled but still ponderous brain of his because he sighs in a huff.

"One of my observers in the outposts I have dotted about the place, informed me that there's a deligation of scientists further around the bay. I'm always wary when that happens, it means they're going to poke around, maybe upset the locals whilst saying that they're not here for that and may find my institute. I have it well protected, but Murphy's law is Murphy's law. I'm not meant to be here either, but I'm not about to listen to what they say. /I/ will play no part in that nonsense."

Lucifer has posed:
"Okay, but why are you downing rum if it doesn't normally affect you? Did you turn that part off a little so you could feel a bit of the affects?" Lucifer asks, his tone gentle as he does. His closer arm shifts so he can stroke fingers and palm against Sinister's upper back. Taking some care in the two spots where wings sprout from, his touch much more gentle there. "I could go scare the scientists away if you want me to..." He offers this much more with a grin.

As for the cigarettes, his further hand comes over to claim one, butt to mouth and lit with the flick of hellfire with a snap of fingers. "Murphy's Law is Murphy's Law, but Murphy can take a hike for all I care." He continues to stroke the man's back, as if he could stroke away all the worries that come with what he just revealed. "We'll be safe, my love. This whole place will be..." There's a promise to his voice, but he doesn't speak those particular words. Little celestial magic never hurt anyone anyway right?

Sinister has posed:
"You may have hit the nail on the head there," Sinister replies, offering a tip of an imaginary hatbrim as he leans in to catch a light off the original Lucifer. He seems to freeze though at the touch to where his wings unfold, a slow breath released with a little stagger in the midst of it, eyes closing for a moment. He regains composure after the fabric beneath Lucifer's fingers gives a slight strain at the push-back that comes from within. And one more stuttered breath out and he takes a drag on his cigarette, blowing the silver-grey toward the sky, raising his gaze there with it and slowly out over the lights of the camp fires in the jungle settlements. In that, he is the same as every form of humanity that gazed out when the darkness came and found comfort in the fact that elsewhere, little lights dotted the landscape and told them that they were not alone in the dark... who looked up to the skies and saw more; a thousand tiny campfires in the big black sky and dreamed of cosmic solidarity, of being less insignificant by counting the people in the heavens... unified by the lightbringer.

"When I am a little bit drunk, my brain is a little less. Occasionally, I find that it takes the edge off, when I know that I'm being worrisome, overthinking what will probably amount to naught and allowing for anxieties that have no place. Unfortunately, my inner drunk is a curmudgeon and ... you came up here to me bemoaning that you find a lost paradise and behold..." he gestures at the fires "...there's people in it."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer takes a slow drag off his cigarette while watching and listening to Nathaniel for the moment. Of course, listening to him just brings their conversation back full circle to what Nathaniel was saying when Lucifer first walked up. So, once again, he's not sure what to say as he said things before and now just sits in silence. One hand still rubs against Nathaniel's back, down to just above the butt and back up to work fingers around and between the wing span. Of course, sometimes it's nice to sit under darkening skies, watch as the night comes to life, and just bask in the silence aside from the noises of creatures below.

Sinister has posed:
And this transpires for perhaps a quarter of an hour, in companionable silence. A few more pulls of the rum and he corks it with about a quarter of it left, jamming the bottle with some care, inside a crevace, with the cork stoppering it. He finishes off his cigarette also, stubbing it out on the stone and proffering it to be incinerated by the devil's will. Then he leans in, smelling distinctly of fermented sugar beats and gives a firm kiss on the cheek, hitching a breath to stifle a burp from ruining the moment. "Right. I'm fine. /Fine/!" a single finger is lifted to punctuate that as he struggles to his feet, wobbling oooooooonly so slightly.

The finger wobbles again, points upward and he rises, like a helium baloon with just about the same sense of aerodynamics.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer basks in the silence as he is oft to do with his love, smoking and listening to the airs around them. Watching as Sinister hides away the rum with a little care, and since both of them are done with their cigarettes, he incenerates both the butts to ashes. The scent that comes from Sinister when he leans in to plant that kiss upon his cheek before stifling a belch gains a brow raise from Lucifer. "Well. In some context I will agree with you, but in others I think it might be best you burn off a bit of the alcohol before doing much else..." Though as he says this he notices that Sinister gets to his feet, wobbly, and then begins to rise. Literally.

"Is this some Mary Poppins acting where I need to find a way to bring you down or are you doing this on purpose and I should simply join you?" He asks with a grin, shifting to stand and letting his wings flare once more.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister answers this with a grin, gesturing at his own temple with a twirl of a finger. "I'm all floaty headed," he says, snickers and... "....Kaboom Tish." Sin-balloon drifts out over the precipace, is caught by wind and dips down, with a 'whoopsie' only to flip back up again, drifting further from solid ground to look back at the Prince upon the rock, those white wings catching the moonglow and starlight so nicely. "Now that's a mental image I'm going to have giggles about. Can you imagine me in a boater, with a nice carpet bag and a parrot brolly, admonishing small children and taking up with chimney sweeps?"

Pause, beat "...Don't answer that." He reaches out his hands, dips again, bobs up again and manages to level off.

"It looks fun up here. Risky business, staying afloat when you're a little light headed. I might need more hot air at some point. You'resohandsome **hitchbreath** you lovely, naughty man."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer watches him for a moment longer and then shakes his head with a slow chuckle. "Alright you..." He offers and with a few beats of his wings he lifts and moves to join Sinister in the air where he floats. "I won't answer that question, but I will suggest that we save the flying for later. When you're a little less inebriated. I'm afraid that one foul wind might take you out..." How he means that is up to interpretation. Out to sea? Cause him to fall? Who knows! He is simply trying to be the voice of reason. For a moment anyway. "Hmmn, and you are quite handome yourself, my lovely geneticist...now come... perhaps we should go inside. Have a coffee? Tea perhaps?"

Sinister has posed:
He really is a bit like helium at the moment. Moving him is a trivial matter, he jockeys exactly where Lucifer places him when the archangel joins the air with his wings a'beating. "Oooh, foul winds. THere's bawdy jokes to be had there, not that I .../I/..." smacking his chest with his palm splayed "...would know any such things. But isn't that what the vicar said to the barwench?" Grinning widely, he focuses beyond after a couple of moments, another dip in anti-gravity and float back up. At the dome. "I suppose there's some merit to being less pickled. Oh, wait a moment, wait a moment... I can do something about this..." he frowns "...if I want to. Do I want to? I want to, don't I." With a shiver, the bobbing up and down ceases and sobriety hits like a clue-by-four, causing a single exhalation of a massive burp and a distinctly disgusted look on his face.

"Good cognac. Stat. And a litre of anti-septic mouthwash. Augh, being suddenly sober, I forgot how that can feel."

Lucifer has posed:
"Of course you wouldn't..." Lucifer offers, and begins to try and lead the man to the ground - getting closer to where the Institute is. Though at some point, Nathaniel sort of stops him and thus he pauses. Then Nathaniel eradicates the alcohol from himself and Lucifer gives a wince. "Right then." A shake of his head and he motions. "Inside we go and I'll get you the things you request. Unfortunately I cannot just manifest things in thin air." He offers this much and then seems to get a bit of guilt on his face. "I hope I have not upset you. I surely do not mind you drinking, or even allowing yourself to get drunk, I truly was just concerned about you..." He waves a hand. "Floating away or something."

Sinister has posed:
"Oh, piffle, I'm not upset. A little surprised and perhaps a bit blackly amused by all of that, but not upset. Worst comes to the worst, I suspect you'd have just flapped about around me and dragged me away from crashing into a volcano flue or something equally retarded," Sinister doesn't argue with groundward, though he stands on the air for a moment or two taking a few deep breaths of fresh air, to counteract the crazy feeling of going from myelin sheaths dissolved and inhibitions dimmed, to everything snapped back to the usual prim and proper and completely functioning. "Also, nonsense. You're my guest here, not the other way around, I'll play the good host. Just be the exquisite company and we'll be happy as clams, right?" He walks the rest of the way down, going to bypass the botanical garden in favour of a lift straight down to the living quarters, from the entrance. "Can I get -you- anything?"

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer only nods at the notion that Nathaniel is not upset, smiling as it does please him to hear that. It's whats said next that gains a more wicked grin from the Devil and once they're within the living quarters, he'll reach to pull the man close. Arms wrap around so hands can gently grip and knead where wings can grow while lips capture lips in a heated kiss. A kiss he holds, while holding Nathaniel, and since his own wings are also still out, he wraps them around them as well to sort of cocoon them from the world. <<You. All I want right now is you. And all of you that you're willing to offer...>> He speaks within the mind since lips are still captured.

Sinister has posed:
We're going to put this down to brain still zinging, that this caught him with his pants down, metaphorically speaking, because they're currently definitely still up. There's a sharp intake of breath as he's captured, eyes darting all over, to wings, face, wicked smile, hair, the whole kit and kaboodle until he's silenced by sudden and purposeful passion. His shoulders roil again at the touch between his shoulderblades and there's a grunt against the kiss as he seems to fight with it for a moment, only to buckle forward as they press forth, then erupt in a fit of mantling and feathers standing on end; it makes the long pinions and tertiaries brush all up against the white, caught the wrong way and therefore entirely trapped.

Sin drinks deep, reaches up beneath the devil's arms and up to the root of the white, to knead his own attention there with the digging in of fingertips and manicured nails <<...I suppose, all in all, there are worse appetites to have, aren't there?>> he voiceless laughs in his mind, pressing attention firm, that there is little space between them -- and thus having firm attention. <<...moment...>> though he does not stop reciprocating, telekinetic force opens doors, pulls them both off the floor and zips them through doorways, along corridors and in to the lap of egyptian cotton, climate control and perfectly serviceable mattresses. Even the mosquito netting flares aside to admit them into the muslin shadow.

Lucifer has posed:
Wicked is the Devil for as he feels the entrapment of those wings spawned by his lover, he shifts his own back and forth a bit to brush against every caught feather and tease that sensation. Of course, there's a double edge to such a thing, for he teases himself as well, so much so that a sound catches in his throat for a moment before he quiets some.

<<Worse appetites yes. All pale in comparison to an appetite such as this I think...>> He heard that chuckle, and his own follows within the mind just before he feels them moving. The power of Nathaniel's telekenesis is strong as they move along the corridors, doors opening for them without the need to physically turn a handle. Then suddenly they've landed upon egyptian cotton within a room kept well just for them. Lucifer does not relinquish hold, but he does relinquish the kiss if but for a moment. "How much I love you, dearest Nathaniel, let me show you in all the ways I can..."