14030/Little Slice of Paradise

Little Slice of Paradise
Date of Scene:	21 December 2021
Location:	Lucifer's Penthouse, Melville
Synopsis:	Lucifer and Sinister enjoy a calm night that is gently interrupted by a Constantine.
Cast of Characters:	Lucifer, Sinister, Constantine

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Lucifer has posed:
They had gone rift hunting, and elemental sprite chasing, closed a few rifts, and killed a kraken. Lucifer had performed a miracle and a curse in the same day, and had bequeathed upon the eyes of his companions forms of himself the likes of which none have ever borne witness to.

Then Lucifer and Sinister hashed out some ideas because one was being driven crazy with not being able to piece together the puzzle and the other was being supportive.

In the end, decisions were made. Certain items were requested to have taken and given. However...for now...there is nothing to do. A fire crackles away in the fireplace, something on the television plays for background noise, and yet also Lucifer sits at that grand piano while fingers tickle over the ivories. Scents of toast and heartiness fill the air meaning that food had been cooked recently but really - all in all. It's a rare occurrence. The pair are simply...relaxing.

Sinister has posed:
"Can you play Chandelier by Sia? Actually, for that matter, can you sing it? That one always... touched me," Sinister offers, from where he sits on the air by that very piano, not so much a devil in a red dress, but much in that sort of lounging position. His laptop and technology is far from where he currently is, mostly because he willfully closed it off, after having poked and poked enough times to make himself irritated again. Almagnac, the one that was gifted to the pair, has been opened an that is what is currently being savoured.

"Are we going to do anything for Yuletide? I feel that... it's our first, we probably ought to. I found a place that sells black trees. Decorate that with silver and red, and glass holly leaves and I think it would be suitable for us. Maybe?"

Constantine has posed:
The lift's doors part to release a very usual looking John Constantine. While is it fun or harrowing to use magic doors, portals, origami frogs or The Spindle(tm), walking and being driven about remains a favorite of John. "Good evening, friends." His first stop: the ashtray by the bar. John knows how Lucifer likes things neat and ordered. Once ashes were trayed, he turns and looks at the scene his companions offers. He raises both eyebrows and scratches the side of his scruffy head, uncertain.

"So... huh..." and he stops. "...I did check on the credit card... I almost booked a trip to Bali and then I remembered some loose ends. Still... thank you. I'll put it too good use." What kind of loose end Constantine can't fix by relocating to Bali? He grabs an empty glass and fills it from his flask, so he looks more proper when drinking. "I just don't know if now is the time to bring anything up..."

Lucifer has posed:
"Oh... a black tree dressed up all festive-like would be interesting indeed." Lucifer offers. "Aside from what I had planned for Lux, I really wasn't sure what you and I would do. Gift exchange and all that? Just spend the day in?" He offers with a smile. "And yes. I can both play and sing Chandelier by Sia..." This much more and he even almost begins to go into the song when he hears the elevator ding.

There's a look over to Constantine as the man steps into the Penthouse and he gives a loft of a brow. "John. Pleasure to see you. Though a statement like that leads one to wonder if we want it brought up ourselves. But you're here, with something obviously on your mind so..." He gestures then an open offering for the man to speak.

Sinister has posed:
"I'll order one. Worst comes to the worst, we can donate it to a merry goth, if we don't like it..." And the admittance makes Sinister smile, settling a tip of head and a further lounge in thin air as song was about to commence, only to be interrupted.

He's 'dressed as a human' at the moment, in that he has a skin tone and blue-grey eyes, fingernails not black gothika. It's entirely possible that's what Nathaniel Essex really looks like, when he strips away what he'd become. There's a prim, genteel smile offered. "Sun, sea, sand and an open bar might be a good vacation. Everyone could do with one of those every so often. But I'm glad you're making use of it to tie up loose ends. Those are a bother." And with Lucifer's invite to speak, he adds nothing else but an open palmed gesture toward Constantine and a brief look of approval for what passes for manners.

Constantine has posed:
John purses his lips, thoughtfully. "I'm concerned about that clone of yours, Nathaniel. How did he... you know... come to be? Was he supposed to have so much free will? What else did he put in motion? Are there others? So many questions. I barely slept last night." He finally takes a sip of whatever is in his glass. "Pardon my candor but you left me in the dark as of your history. I refuse to think the card is a bribe either... Lucifer wouldn't, I believe, stand for that." There he is, the Punk behind the mage. "I told you when we first met that I do not like waves and... well. A evil twin opening world breaking portals is big, huge waves. You wouldn't believe how many people are after me to fix their corner of the world when something happens."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer frowns a little and then shakes his head. "John. You're our friend. We like you. That card was not a bribe. But you're asking questions that I don't think you'll like the answer to. It's probably best that you take the... less you know the better path." He offers, playing the into to Chandelier - well it's not a long intro but he's sort of playing over the keys on repeat for the moment until he perhaps fnds a good point to start singing.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister's eyes fix on John for quite a few heartbeats, his chin dropping so that he peers beneath his brows. It's an intense regard, which shifts off to look sidelong to Lucifer when the Devil interjects what amounts to a word of caution. He listens to the music, to the angel that sings out of the devil's throat and smiles faintly to himself, just... listening as eyes close. He doesn't say anything until the music is entirely done, offering a soft 'Thank you, beloved' at the conclusion.

Then he looks back at Constantine. "It's been bothering me, also. In fact, it kept me at sixes and sevens yesterday. Today has been a forced measure in decompressing and unwinding the knots of tension in my neck because of it. I plan on finding the isotope readings of that particular clone once Lucifer's brought me the sample I need, so that I can trace the batch of origin and examine specifically whether the entire lot are worrisome, or whether that was just a rogue. One might consider that... the initiative taken by that one, is a direct reaction to things he didn't like seeing me do. In that I've been attempting a more subtle approach to achieving my ends and haven't been on the same page for a while."

Constantine has posed:
Is it Chandelier or the gentle warning, John also has a frown of his own. "Good. I also understand the need for a break. I'd be watching shadow theater on the sand and learning tall tales of ghost witches instead of stepping on your toes if it didn't feel so important." He scratches his head again. "Thinking of it, Bali may not be vacations for an exorcist. Switzerland, maybe?" From prior encounters, Jamaica is also not an option. He takes the time to light up and seat himself, enjoy the free music. He wouldn't be caught dead humming Chandelier but music is music and Lucifer is overqualified for this song. "I have no plans for Christmas beside hiding at home. It's a very busy time of the year on the magic side of things, with the Saturnals and Santa and... you know." There's a few other names he'd rather not spread here and now.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer isn't inputting any more words into this conversation as he feels this is more something to be spoken between Sinister and Constantine. He's just going to provide music. And since 'tis the season, he plays a more Christmas-like song but doesn't sing and keeps it sort of soft so not to drown out conversation.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister can't seem to help himself and public displays of affection are not something he is shy of in his own home. But it is not vulgar; the man rarely is vulgar. He leans in from his lounge in the air, to give a soft kiss to Lucifer's cheek and a little nuzzle over the devil's sideburns, reaching to silently touch his upper arm in a moment of physical appreciation for the festive background muzak with /style/. If only every department store had a Lucifer at this time of year, people would be more jolly. Then he sits himself back up and lowers his feet to the ground, walking around the piano to look out over the city under the snow and wintery weather. He tucks his hands into the small of his back, looking every inch the victorian gentleman he once was.

"I would definitely avoid New Orleans, Paris and Haiti also, they will not be kind to you. Hawaii might be a possibility. I assume the Santa legends also end up with Krampus demon sightings?" But he doesn't really wait for an answer. "John, you already know I am older than I look. Not older than Lucifer himself, obviously, but... I've seen two world wars, the viet-kong, the rise of the Khmer Rouge, the fomenting of the troubles in the Middle east, the wars in the balkans, the march of the Soviet block... All of that. And I've seen the advent of Children of Thelidomide, advancement of medical practice and all things regarding the human condition. These days, it's easier to manipulate an entire continent by a word in the right ear. I was a doctor. A surgeon and medical practitioner and that I think is what ought to stick with you. However, I was born out of tragedy. My children were victims of genetic mutation and deformity. My son died at the age of eight, my daughter was still born. It drove me to an edge that few should find themselves at and ... well, I am a genius. I was when I was ordinary and saw two hundred years ago, what you are seeing now, with mutants and inhumans, the rise of the Atom... all before my time. I discovered the human genome. I actually fed it to the man that officially discovered it, so that it would be accepted and not rejected by the population. And for two centuries I've been furthering the advancement of mankind -- not always by a gentle hand. I perfected the cloning process. It is quite logical and true to say that I am probably the most accomplished Geneticist on the face of the earth. There's very little I cannot do with the human chromosome. But even still: The human genetic code has a propensity to mutate, to acquire will and means unexpected. I can and do mentally dominate my own clones. I tailor them to what I design them to be. However, mutation is what it is and sometimes a thing will be resistant. I plan to make sure that this particular avenue is erradicated. I do not appreciate things going out of my control, you see... my work has been too long in the making, helping and crafting the culmination of medical science to where we are. And I no longer have to harvest involuntarily, as human law handily decided that forensics trumped possession of DNA. If you have abandoned your own genetic material, it is no longer your property. It's made my life so much easier to catalogue. Does that satisfy your curiosity any?"

Constantine has posed:
Discretely, very very discretely, John wiggles his fingers behind his back and weaves a simple sound filtering spell. Christmas music? ...no. Even if it is played by the Maestro of Hell in the flesh... no. For a split second, he wishes he wasn't under the proverbial mistletoe but under the Singing Tesseract. That thought vanishes away like cigarette smoke as his enchantment takes effect and the reassuring tones of Nathaniel rock him to near serenity. While he listens and weighs the biography, he walks behind the bar and grabs the bottom shelf bourbon. To him, alcohol is like water and there's no need to ruin Lucifer's impeccable liquor collection by binging it, holidays or not.

"It's a good start. I'm sorry about your kids, you know... there's no bond stronger right? And no cord more sensitive to tug at. Fate is a ruthless bitch." He pours the drink, almost filling the tumbler to the brim. "I've seen what bad turns do to folks too. I've got just the other question: why make more of you? Do you feel the clock's ticking in nudging Earth to whatever salvation? Cheers." He downs half his bourbon.

Sinister has posed:
"No, John. In the world of superpowered heroism, there are quite a number of individuals that would quite like to see me erradicated from the face of the planet. Clones are a fail-safe against extermination. Once upon a time, they were my only failsafe. It was myself against the world and all the power of my mind applied toward that end... so that the great work I was doing would not be jeapardized... but you only need to look at how mutants are treated, how inhumans are shunned to know that things are not hunky dory with mankind. Time is always a blessing and a curse," Sinister looks over his shoulder at the english magician, smiles once again, however slight, toward Lucifer. He looks back out over New York afterwards. "For two centuries it was just me, the only one I could rely upon. If I felt there was considerable risk, I could send a clone, possessed by my mind, out to do what needed to be done." There's a pause, a moment where his head hangs at the memory of his offspring.

"My children rest in peace now. I got to say a goodbye I was never able to in my former life. Thanks to my salvation. I'm not religious, which is ironic, really. But it makes sense, when you think about it. The one individual in all of creation that can understand where I came from, where all the complicated issues arrise out of... happens to be the one painted as the Adversary to the christian's creator. Another individual that's been tarred by necessity and can appreciate that she is the mother of invention. He could have judged me, but he didn't. Not by what I've done, but by who I am. And since I let the Devil into my life, at least one of my clones seems to think I've taken my eyes off of the goal posts. That is why so much of my time and Lucifer's have been devoted to undoing it and why we asked one of the few that might help -both- of us... to help fix this mess. The Devil himself, has made me a better man, psychologically and sociologically speaking. He doesn't count my past against me. It's a hope I have, that you wouldn't either."

And all that said and done, he smiles back over his shoulder, then turns to walk to the piano to sit contra-posto to Lucifer, on the piano stool, sipping the almagnac. "We will deal with my mess. As we have been doing. And trust me, that you will not be fixing my mess on your own. I... we... wouldn't put that on you." Pause, beat. "Enjoy the bourbon."

Constantine has posed:
"Yeah, fuck the world," John agrees and raising his glass as a toast to it. All of it. "Can't leave it, can't leave it alone and it won't leave you alone either." He instantly realizes how rude what he just said could be taken and he lets out a sour grunt. "At least you got some kind of closure. There are assholes out there who say there's no closure but fuck 'em too. There is. It's a thing, a magical thing, just like love." He agitate his half empty, half full glass and watches the golden liquid swirl. Not much to see without ice though. He lets out a sigh through his nose, a sigh that is visible through twin streaks of smoke.

"I'll be staying at a hotel room nearby, I'll let you know which when I book in. Just... call me, when it's time. You're not alone anymore, either of you." He takes the last of Nathaniel to the letter and grabs the bottle for later. The glass, he finishes and leaves on the bar, using a coaster. Wow. Using. A. Coaster. Time to leave.

As the elevator doors start closing, he says: "Thank you. Both."