14097/After the Devil's lair

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After the Devil's lair
Date of Scene: 31 January 2022
Location: Lucifer's Penthouse, Melville
Synopsis: Discussing the events of the Devil's lair. What IS Shield up to?
Cast of Characters: Sinister, Lucifer




Sinister has posed:
The night is young still, but the elevator's bell chimes as Sinister exits it, his coat hanging from a finger over his shoulder, glass of Special reserve in his hand and shirt undone at the top, revealing the line of his collar bone. Idly, he sets his glass a'floating to the coffee table as he reaches to let his hair down, giving a long, slow sigh. The elastic band is absorbed into his palm, the view from the top of the penthouse is gazed at and he seems to decide that's where he's heading for now, tossing coat on the couch and refloating his drink as he makes his way outside to lean on the pallisade railing.

Lucifer has posed:
Surely that was one hell of a gathering - no pun intended - and Lucifer was as gracious of a host as he could be. Rounds having been done, and then he played bartender to a few pretty faces before finally deciding to retire to the Penthouse early. So when he hears the elevator ding, he's just coming into the living room from the bedroom when he spies Nathaniel just entering the balcony. Curiosity gets the better of him and he shifts to follow the man, bringing cigarettes and an ashtray with him, stepping outside to lean but sideways so he can face Nathaniel, offer a cigarette. "Want to talk about it?"

Sinister has posed:
Sinister glances over his shoulder as the doors open once again, smiling warmly to the advance of the Lord of Hell. "Aah, just what the doctor ordered," taking a cigarette, he leans in to kiss Lucifer's cheek, then after his cigarette is lit, looks back out over the benighted city, with all its lights and all its secrets. "I could. Although I think it might get you a bit riled up," he proffers. There's a moment where he fishes out his cellphone, holds it a moment or two, then hands it over to Lucifer. The screen plays a download of the security footage and parabollic sound capture of Genesis' little statement of challenge as Sinister drags on the fine nicotine stick, blowing out the smoke through his nose. "To note, I'm not upset about that, precisely. It was oddly satisfying."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer's eyes narrow as he's handed the cellphone and that security footage plays. Even as Nathaniel offers that he's not upset about it, there's a certain bristling that can be felt in the air around Lucifer's form. "Uh huh. So what, precisely, are you upset about? This prepubescent child comes in here threatening what's mine...the nerve." He's snarling. It can be an attractive look to some. "I know he's your creation and all...but...he will know that to get to you he'll have to go through me, and I will dare him - or anyone else really - to try." His own cigarette is lit and inhaled then, the angel almost looking like a dragon the way the smoke blows from his nose and mouth.

Sinister has posed:
"And that's why I'm not upset about it. More... proudly amused and slightly... disappointed? Only slightly though, the end result of that particular experiment seems to be working out according to plan." Sinister's eyes are warm as he looks over at the bristling dragon of an Archangel. "The audacity is hubris, the cocksure nature of youth and belief of invulnerability. But... the /major/ thing is, that he saught to challenge me, as a hero might a villain. Stupidly, because he doesn't have all the facts, doesn't know the first thing about what can be brought down upon his head like a ton of bricks... but..." Sinister shrugs, smiles, leans in and seeks to sooth those ruffled feathers with a stroke of the back, hand resting on the small of it with peaceful eyes. "One day... en sabah nur's clone will be strong enough to fight the one he was created from. Will stand as a lovely challenge to all those wrong doers, because that's what heros do. And I'll count the failures quite happily, for the successes that might come."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer bristles one last time, but it's more in a way where they are subsiding at the feel of that stroking hand against his back. "Leave it to you to sort of work in some sort of...fail safe? Or at the very least, you saw what the end could be and made it so..." Then he chuckles, of all things. "Which kind of brings us full circle back to our ever going off and on discussion about free will, yes?" Another pull on that cigarette is taken and then he tilts his head. "You made him from Apocalypse, right? So one day you home for the two of them to meet on the battlefield? Yet he's challenged you...and if I recall... Warren doesn't hold you in high regard either."

Sinister has posed:
"Not that I blame him, however Warren holds Apocalpyse in a worse regard than I. And I did help him... purge some subliminal conditioning from him," he rubs his hand side to side crosswise over Lucifer's hips, then transforms that gesture to place palm upon the opposite side and draw the devil closer in a hug. "I've played that game carefully for decades..." he looks sidelong to that sharply handsome profile, exhaling smoke through his nose once again and flicking ash to the wind. "My design there was simple. To test nature versus nurture and tip scales in the favour of a positive outcome, as well as to study just how Apocalypse' powers matured in the first place. It is quite unusual for individuals to be mutants from birth and En Sabah-nur was one such individual. The original... well, he ... borrowed quite a lot from you. In part, that's one of the reasons I came to you that time. Also, well, to see if there was a possibility that you actually are who you are."

He waves his cigarette wielding hand off at that. "...Irrelevant in the end. The clone has an awareness of a moral compass, which is significant in that his progenitor does not. So, nurturing was successful there. And with that, he should be -expected- to challenge me. He knows who I am and has been getting education from Charles Xavier. The fact that he showed me respect when laying down his ultimate promise... indicates to me at least, that -that- education, has not been complete and concrete. Wouldn't you say?"

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer listens, taking it all in, and then feels that draw against his hip that brings him into a hug. The hug is returned, a nuzzle given, and then he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I suppose that all makes sense." Offering this to the first part, but to the next.. "I don't know if I would or wouldn't. I haven't quite met many who have had the teachings of Professor Xavier. I only know of his existence through some of the mutants who have graced my club with their presence. And the way some of them behaved, almost makes me wonder just what they ARE teaching in that School for the Gifted, or whatever the hell it's called." A comment made and then he smirks. "Still, if you are not fully angered by it, then I suppose I can quell my wrath for the time being... but if he ever does actually come at you... it will be me he faces with. Unless you give me an absolute to not do so... in light of your...experiment."

Sinister has posed:
Sinister shakes his head, looking down the slight distance to Lucifer's eyes. "I would not stop you. I'm not the man I used to be, all alone, myself against the world and all that might come for me. And truth of it is... Xavier's churns out some well rounded individuals, but it also trains soldiers. There is a delightful irony, I find, particularly considering how many of them vehemently deny that they're indoctrinated."

There's a smile, time taken to say love, without words, on the balcony of the penthouse, beneath the stars and clouds. Only after a moment is taken, cherished and appreciated, does Sinister hand his spent cigarette to the devil and with a shake of his shoulders, lets his wings out to feel the night air and the winds up here. Once stretched out, he curls the nearest one about Lucifer like a warm cloak. "It's actually not -Genesis- that got me out here, all thoughtful though. It was the presence of Director Fury from SHIELD. That man never comes out, without there being a reason for it and now... I'm curious."

Lucifer has posed:
So the topic of Genesis is dropped, and the moment to embrace love wordlessly is taken. It's a picturesque moment. Click. All that jazz. Spent cigarettes are ignited to ash as he always disposes of them, letting that flitter out to the wind while finding himself embraced in a wing. One hand comes up and around to stroke some of the feathers gently. Not trying to get a rise, per se, but just touching to touch. "He seemed like a man on a mission. Looking for someone perhaps? I've seen pictures of him, in the paper and such. I'm not too familiar with SHIELD either. I'm beginning to wonder if I should make acquaintances within these places..."

Sinister has posed:
"Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division. It says very little, until you consider it used to just take care of American interests, but eventually broadened that mandate. They essentially protect planet earth from threats to it and are... closely allied, I suppose, with the Avengers. Fury assembled them, with Stark's assistance." A little inhale at the touch of the feathers, but there's ways of touching and ways of touching. They fluff at the contact and become warmer for it, trapping bodyheat and making his little hollow of bodies pleasant in the cold night air. "I keep an eye on them and they keep an eye on me. I'm under no illusions that they don't have a dossier on me. Fury essentially confirmed that," he pauses, thoughtfully. "Well... I suppose that it is probably time to expand a little of your influences. They likely have a dossier on you, too. They have an entire department in the Logistics side, that observe and catalogue mutants, inhumans, metahumans, aliens, gods and divine entities. However, do you -want- to broaden your contacts and acuaintance pool in such a way?"

Lucifer has posed:
"Well, there's getting to know them and then...getting to know them. I may not be entirely talking about taking the friendly path with some of these people. Or maybe I will. Who knows. They may not even trust me because I associate with you." Lucifer quips with a grin and then gives a light shrug. "I just feel like I know so many things, and yet not a lot of things, and we're talking big names in the world that is New York and beyond. I just feel that perhaps I should educate myself... in other things than the mystical, celestial, divine, and hellacious." He offers this much and then glances back inside. "How about some hot chocolate? I could use a warm drink right about now... not that the warmth you're giving isn't enough... but settling with some cocoa while talking sounds fun, would you agree?"

Sinister has posed:
"Actually, I think we have some godiva hot chocolate in the cabinet," Sinister replies after a pretend moue and pout. And because he can't help the urge, he stretches wings wide and flaps them a few times, like working out a kink, before letting them fold once again as he steps aside to open the door for the Devil. "We are both learning, which will be an ongoing, lifelong process. I thrive on that." He grins, closing the door behind them both and glancing to the fridge to float out a milk jug, the cupboard to float out a pan.

"Their main endeavor is espionage and research, as far as I can tell. Information is the game, so even if they're wary of you, you quite literally bring to bear billions of years of knowledge. Even if much of that is rather focused, there's nuggets in that head of yours that I'm sure you don't even think are pertinent."

Lucifer has posed:
"When it's not so cold, we should go for a fly. Or perhaps at some point we should go someplace that's warm for winter and fly around." Lucifer offers at the pouting and the unfurling of wings to flap before they're put away. Heading back inside, he nods once at the mention of Godiva hot chocolate and smiles gently. "It is always a pleasure learning new things with you, that's for sure." This said as he heads to the kitchen and then considers. "Some people heat up milk... what would be better? Milk or half and half? Cream maybe?" Asking this even as he pulls down the box of hot chocolate to perhaps read the directions on it.

"So you're saying that my greatest weapon against them would be the very knowledge that I have in my brain? To what extent and purpose could such things be used for by them?"

Sinister has posed:
"It would be nice. When we're... in the east, over the jungles, it would be fantastic." Sinister just leaves that there, it will happen, but he's not wanting to focus on that right now. Considering, he waggles the milk jug, then floats out the half and half from the fridge, also. "Three quarters full-fat milk, to one quarter half-and-half. Too much of that and it'll make the chocolate coat the tongue in a slimey manner, owing to the fat content. But that ought to be creamy enough, with the rest." Both are set on the counter, not attempting to actually do the heating of such; he doesn't tend to trust himself much with cooking in anything but a basic manner. "Experiences, also. It's nice to have experience, but it's nicer to share it, I think."

The last question has him cocking his head a measure as he puts his coat on a hanger in the closet, tidying up after himself, approaching the hob and Lucifer with it, coming on up beside him to lean sideways against the counter, arms folding. "The dark force of Nyarlathotep, opener of the ways, he of a thousand faces, is arising in Egypt. All of the texts and research is scattered, once written on papyrus, or on stone. Predating the written record, most of that knowledge is oral tradition. But wherever the jewish people were, enslaved, or migrant, your father had a hand in looking at things. And he's been around the block. So have you. And you can go speak to the slave master in hell, inquire about this or that or the other. You can speak to your brother Raphael, request knowledge for the sake of your father's so-called creation. Etcetera, etcetera. You have /so/ much to offer, it's hard to quantify it all."

Lucifer has posed:
A little of this, a splash of that, and yet the Devil gets creative. He gets mugs, fills with some of the liquid, heats it, stirs in the powder then adds in the topper and heats it again. Only he's heating the mugs with hellfire in a gentle manner. But they might need to be left to cool for a moment. "All the things are nicer when you're around to share them with." He counters with this and grins, sliding over one of the mugs - which he can handle hot or not. "That... hmm. Could be an interesting offer to set on the table. I don't know. It was just a thought. Not sure how much I'd want to go through with it, really. Especially if they seem to be your...enemy? Or just... cautious?"

Sinister has posed:
Sinister watches the action, grinning to himself at the extravegance being indulged by simple hot chocolate. He even chuckles when the hellfire is brought to bare, with a shake of his head. The sublime and the ridiculous! The mug is taken up, lifted thereafter in toast, as he walks to the fireside, drawing the leather loveseat up infront of it, in a silent invite that needs no words at all. "My dear, S.H.I.E.L.D. is many things, but it is not stupid. I may be a villain by most definitions, but I am not a destructive one. And when it comes down to it, this is my home, planet earth. I have as much invested in its future as anyone else does. They put me on their lists because I am .... who I am. Cautious is the better descriptor, by far. I have no desire to see my work erradicated. So." He smiles to the devil, pats the seat in invite. "I suppose it all depends on what has Fury on edge, as to whether we want to probe further. But I, for one, am not an individual that likes to simply ignore the movements of Arcana on the board of world chess. I think jurisprudence would dictate that we should find out what Fury is doing, determine what threat he has perceived that puts him in our radars and from there, figure out if we should... stand up to be counted." He raises his cocoa to the devil. "And in the meantime, enjoy HELLishly good hot chocolate." A wink and a kiss.

Lucifer has posed:
"No, that's a completely valid reason. And Fury had to have his reasons for coming here right? You said so yourself, he doesn't really get out into public much. I think that's a solid idea. To try and see what's on his radar, perhaps even be of help to him." Lucifer offers this while walking to the couch that Nathaniel has pulled in front of the fire. Sitting, he shifts to lean against the man, offering a kiss in return as he does. "Yes, in the meantime. Good hot chocolate, wonderful company, the fire, and a lovely evening in." He even takes a slow sip from his mug and indulges in drink and company as the evening falls into place just so.