14670/A New Start

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A New Start
Date of Scene: 20 January 2023
Location: Fred's Diner - Mutant Town
Synopsis: Fred's Diner gets a new grill. Their restaurant grade goes up a letter. Now with 30% less food poisoning. (Also with the assistance of Sinister's deductive reasoning, Lucifer finds out the nature of Nick's injury and grants him a healing feather.)
Cast of Characters: Sinister, Lucifer, Phantasm (Drago)
Tinyplot: Fortunate Son


Nick Drago has posed:
It is well past time for greetings of Happy New Year or to make those resolutions that share part of the same phrase. But despite the 'New Years' brand being put into storage until the next countdown, this week is experiencing some change.

The first change is that Fred's Diner has apparently put in a new grilltop which has led to less incidents where the cook had to reheat it with his fire breath. On a somewhat related note, the sticker on display at the entrance has gone up a letter. There's also a new server. Pretty but, obviously new. There's at least three people who have given up on the table and have instead seated themselves at the counter in order to get quicker service.

But Nick. Well, he's got time right now. The slow service isn't even given a thought as he calmly sits at his booth, back facing the wall, and glancing out the nearby window. A coffee rests before him, halfway finished but with enough of a steam whisp to hint to the coffee being recently deposited there. Despite the distracted nature of the young man, his posture is a tad rigid. Not taking advantage of the seatback behind him if he'd just slouch a little.


Lucifer has posed:
The Devil has left Hell! Oh wait, that's old news. The Devil has left Lux! Which is likely a strange thing to see given it's evening and most would suspect Lucifer to be back at Lux partying the night away. Instead he's out on an adventure in Mutant Town...though there's no obvious reason as to why. Never the less, the door to the diner opens and in walks the Devil himself to give a look around before stepping further in and assessing where he might settle himself for the evening. Does he have his faithful Sinister by his side? Hard to say. Sometimes he goes for jaunts on his own...but Mutant Town isn't really a place Lucifer would come to alone unless he had Reasons(tm). Like a contract to make. Or collect.


Sinister has posed:
Fred's isn't completely unknown to Sinister. Mutant town in general, has more than one back alley clinic and underground wellness centre that has illicit funding from Essexcorp, because of a million and one reasons. Also, the real estate is prime for his proclavities; those here can often be motivated by very little. It is the nature of the beast.

And no, he is not obvious in his presence here; a trick of the eye or the mind can paint a shadow moving, but the conscious brain refuses to actually look at it more than a glance, by design. So, nobody watches him getting his own coffee and another, nobody sees him eyeing the cream suspiciously, or hunting for the whiskey that one of the regulars keeps for special occasions on days ending in 'y'. Nobody notices until he's simply there, settling himself with a cheerful smile that looks inevitably wrong to those in the know.... right at Nick's booth. One coffee is sat at the perfect casual-intimate distance from himself and the other is cradled in palm as the young man with the healing scars is given the scrutiny of a skilled surgeon's eye. "I've seen a few people sit like that in field hospitals -- considerably twitchier though." He doctors his coffee with whiskey and does likewise to the other.


Nick Drago has posed:
Sinister's approach is quite possibly the best way to sneak up on someone. But things can happene in the moment between making his presence indirectly known to Nick and the musician registering who it is. In this case Nick's hands shift, one grabbing for the mug while the other rests upon the unneeded stirring spoon he had fished out of the drink earlier. Pale eyes shift over to look to the Doctor.

The hand moves away from the spoon. No surprise ninjas tonight it appears. "...What type of doctor are you?" Nick wonders aloud, "Surgeon? Psych?"


Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer doesn't first see as much as feels the presence of Sinister once the man manifests himself. Sharp blue eyes shift over to spy his Sin addressing another familiar face. Lucifer's lips curl into a grin as he shifts from his gentle wandering and approaches the pair in a more direct way. "Fancy spying you here in Mutant Town, Nathaniel." He offers this and a chaste kiss to the cheek in greeting before glancing down at Nick. "You...appear to have seen better days. Is everything alright?"


Sinister has posed:
Obligingly there is a reply: "Yes," which is monumentally unhelpful and extremely explanatory at the same time. Sinister leans into the kiss, reaches a hand to lightly touch Lucifer's elbow with a smile and a trail down the forearm. He's then giving a little chin-lift toward the closest proximity to his seat and casually leans back into the comfort of the booth cushion. "Shrapnel injury of a sort, I'd say. They have a certain way of being uneven and torqued when they heal, thanks to impact irregularities."

The coffee is lifted, sipped with a soft slurp and exhaled over, grey eyes settling on the spoon with a glint in their depths that hints of wicked humour. "My curiosity is piqued more to the how, than to the what."


Nick Drago has posed:
Now more in the moment, Nick becomes aware of the second joining the table. The musician turns his head, giving Lucifer a nod of greeting. "I'm surprised to see the two of you here. Is the club closed? On a Friday?" The last question betrays a bit of disbelief that one would do such a thing. Friday nights are sacred to club goers after all. That and the free drink nights. And the concert nights. Ok. Pretty much every night but karaoke night.

When Sinister guesses the exact nature of the wound, Nick's attention shifts back over to Sinister quickly. His brow lifts "It's...that obvious?"


Lucifer has posed:
"Oh hell forbid, no. But some nights I can leave it to the staff to take care of things. If they need me in any immediate timing the ones who I can trust know how to call me." Lucifer offers this first and then regards Nick and Sinister's words second. "Well. You're slightly hunched over and seem to be a bit on edge. Not to mention, Nathaniel here is a genius and can deduce almost anything from just a glean in his eye." Further explained before he tilts his head the other direction. "You've been dealing with it for some time... like it's taken it's time to heal. I could offer you...a more direct and instant healing...if you're interested." Which, coming from the Devil himself can really sound like he's prepared to begin a Deal(tm) for such a service.


Sinister has posed:
Sinister's lips quirk a little smile, one sided, at the surprised inquiry. It twists itself a little more wry when Lucifer adds his own explanation and observation to the moment, looking at the Devil in profile with lashes at half mast at the complimentary statement of fact. There's also a voiceless chuckle at the offer given. "Irregular injuries heal in a knot. It makes sitting back in contact with anything very tricky. As I said, many a field hospital, many a soldier, many a trauma, many a memory. Some of it is genius, much of it is also personal experience and practice. I just like to make it look easy, for the thing of it." Again, the coffee is sipped, a little more whiskey poured into both cups thereafter, with the same generosity that most would apply to creamer.

Over the rim: "...if you are, I suspect I shall have to create a little mental static in here, or there will be a spectacle."


Nick Drago has posed:
Something about the observation Lucifer makes causes Nick to chuckle, "I've been on edge long before I got hit. But, yeah. Someone blew out a door without warning and I happened to be in the path of it." You'd think he'd be used to things blowing up around him by now. Although to be fair, that was the first time it was a door. The guy's head was pretty different too.

Sinister's explanation gets a frown. "So, does that mean what I'm feeling might not go away or that it's going to just hurt a lot til it does?"

This has gotten to be an interesting topic for Nick as he looks over to Lucifer, "How would it be a spectacle? Do you light up like a holy glowstick when you cast or is it more like energy that collects up in the hands?"


Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer shakes his head a little. "Neither. The spectacle would be - if I'm thinking right - the releasing of my wings. Unfortunately I don't just carry my feathers around with me.." Though he does glance to Nathaniel a moment. "Hardly a spectacle in the middle of Mutant Town though, you think? I don't think he's going to glow brightly or anything...or do you just not want anyone to see and then people talk... as they tend to do.." A smirk twitches onto his lips then, because it's not like he shuns those who speak on his deeds - just the ones he didn't really do. "Anyway. One angel feather from yours truly equals instant healing for you. It would be as though it never happened. Just with the memory of it happening. I'm not into erasing memories."


Sinister has posed:
"My dearest, you really don't have any idea how the Presence can effect humans at times, be they homo mutens or homo sapiens, they /always/ shine..." Sinister muses and casually waves his left hand at the room, whilst tipping his coffee all the way back to finish the dregs off. Not a whole lot just happened, except that absolutely nobody is looking in this direction at all, they merely have a million and one things that involve focus and attention everywhere -else- but here.

The cup is set down, then mild as you like, floats itself off to the sink. "You'd always feel it, unless you had the tissues removed. Or you regenerated it. Frankly, Lucifer's method is a lot nicer; enforced regeneration can be quite unpleasant."


Nick Drago has posed:
"He's right, I don't think people would blink at wings here." Nick states to Sinister. "I mean me alone I've run into..." He pauses, glancing down in thought as his fingers slowly count out the instances. As the fingers reach four, they linger for a moment before Nick looks to Lucifer. The final finger goes up. "...Taking your word for it." He explains. "I could add more if we don't get picky about the design of the wings or speak of theoretical application."

And then Sinister points out another aspect of Angeldom... "Is that every angel or just select ones?"

FOCUS NICK.

Oh right. The Feather thing. Healing. Avoiding long term effects. What could possibly go wrong?

Thoughts of an empty bar comes into mind with a blond man giving a half smile standing on the other side of the bar.

"So, what's the catch?"


Lucifer has posed:
"You don't have to believe me truth be told. I'm not as zealous as my Father..." Lucifer offers with a chuckle. "No. Nathaniel is right. There's a mutant sprouting wings to take flight or whatever and then...there's us Angels. And myself being an archangel it's a bit... more... for most people..." This much more and then he seems to consider that last question from Nick. "Catch?" A pause. "Oh. Right. Tit for tat. Eh... you've been coming to Lux for a bit and... I'm not really one to make pacts over my feathers." At least...not always. "So this one can be...a gift. Though what I usually do is wait until I am in need of something, or particular skills, and then cash it in. But..." He shrugs and then glances to Sinister. "You want to do your whole no one can see this for a bit mental game?"


Sinister has posed:
Sinister lifts a single finger, pointing arounnd the room at those others in the diner. "Already taken care of," he says quietly, but does give Nick a long, deadpan kind of look. "Oh, yes, of course. Education doesn't generally include theology or latin classes any more, but it really is all in the name -- I can't imagine why I thought the light bringer, star of morning would be a bit shiny." That last bit muttered with a chuckle, he settles himself back, lacing fingers loosely on the surface of the table and turns eyes upon the archangel at the table.

Apparently this is also always rather entrancing.


Nick Drago has posed:
As Lucifer states the feather to be a gift. Nick relaxes slightly. Before the back reminds him why he shouldn't. Straightening up again, he gives a nod to Lucifer. "Well then, Thank you for your generosity. I accept."

Mention of Lucifer being the light bringer does make Nick think of something else. "...Is St. Lucia a variation of Lucifer?"


Lucifer has posed:
"Depending on what this St. Lucia is...it could very well be. Some dirty trick that someone on high wanted to play so long ago?" Lucifer says this with a grin while glancing to Sinister and gives a nod of his head. "Right then..."

WIth a quickness of not there one moment nad there the next, a flare of white bursts out from Lucifer's back. His wings catch any light source around them and will glow with a softness that also screams they are of another world entirely. They give a bit of a flutter-shake and the Devil grins before he reaches and curls long digits of fingers around a nice piece of plumage and - with a slight grimace - plucks it right from the wingspan. This single feather is then held over to Nick, held by the quick of it, and he smiles. "Just hold and concentrate. You'll be right as ever in the blink of an eye.." And a soft bathing glow of light.


Sinister has posed:
Sinister's lips part as if to reply, then close once more with a slight wince of a man holding his tongue in check. Merely a chuckle follows and a small headshake. Oddly, as the preparation goes on, the man leans further into the back of the booth, almost driving his shoulderblades into the apolstery like he's attempting to get them to stick to the fabric. But then, with the glow and shimmer, he stills, watching along the plumage with a far-and-away look haunting him. Hands are vigorously and firmly laced on the table and seem to be being held in check. Right there. No touching.


Nick Drago has posed:
"Lucia, Lucy...Has a light theme to her...It'd be kind of funny considering-" Nick pauses as Lucifer sets about with the feather retrieval.

Once the white bursts, the performer falls silent, quietly watching the process. Sculpted lips part, letting out a small gasp before the remaining breath is held. The lips shift, forming a smile, so focused on the entire wing that the loss of the feather is mostly lost upon him. Until it's set before his line of sight.

The musician looks to the feather, hesitating as Lucifer provides instructions on what to do. Nick is silent.


Lucifer has posed:
It's a near-instant thing. One holds the feather, thinks on their injuries and then voila. Healed. The feathers are single use only, which means it will deflate into just a simple white feather with no real lustre to it any longer.

Satisfied, Lucifer's wings disappear as quick as they had appeared as well and he cracks his neck slightly before shifting to sit in the booth seat across from Nick at this time. A lifted hand to call a waitress. "Coffee, black. Full stack of pancakes, eggs sunny side up and four slices of bacon." A glance to Sinister then. "Hungry?"


Sinister has posed:
Sinister's shoulders ease up their hard press into the seat as the wings once more vanish. Almost a mimicry of Lucifer's neck crack, he follows his own up with a roll of the aformentioned shoulderblades, loosening things up with it. "One day, I shall uncover the potential energy in this -- I believe it might have something to do with numerological significance, which sounds a lot less realistic when I say it out loud." There's a frown. "It goes beyond mathematics, however."

There's a brisk shaking of his head and a huffed sigh, as if to eject silly side-thoughts from his mind and a consideration given to diner fair. "Toast and marmalade, I think. And another coffee." He eyes Nick. "It's an experience isn't it? Proof denies faith, though -- which is probably why he enjoys that so much." Sotto voce.


Nick Drago has posed:
It's a few moments of hesitation but soon enough Nick does take the feather. The musician looks to the feather for a few moments, curiously turning it about to look at it. The turn of the feather slows to a stop. Nick's eyes widen as there's a shift to the feather.

Although the feather switches to one of a more simplistic composition, it isn't dropped. Instead it is shifted over to the left hand while Nick reaches his right behind him, touching his back with his fingertips

The slowly forming smile halts as the musician quickly brings his right arm back, bending it to check his lower forearm. Finding the old scar still present there, the smile goes back to forming.

He relaxes, sliding back into the seat. "Thank you."

Sinister's question gets a look over from Nick followed by a nod. "Yes, it is an experience."

As the server comes up to their table and the other two put in their order, he simply taps his half empty cup. "A bit more coffee please." He adds to the server. Opting to get the request in so the extra coffee is out there when he actually needs it. "How fortunate for me you two just happened this way."


Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer smiles at Sinister and then shakes his head just a little. "That's probably the most British thing you could order from a place like this..." He jokes gently and then glances back to Nick who seems to be relaxing after the moment with the feather. "How are you feeling now? All better?" Asking this to the man across from them while settling back, resting his arms along the back of the booth seat. "So, anything new or interesting going on in the world of homo mutagens?"


Sinister has posed:
"Well, no. If I had really wanted to go all out, I would've insisted on tea," Sinister murmurs, giving a grin full of teeth and an air-kiss at the archangel in their midst. But make no mistake, the little things illustrated upon the canvas of Nick's psyche and bodylanguage are being read and catalogued; a sly side-look, a glance that picks up significance in the order in which it was presented...

"Fortunate, yes," though not a flippant response, it's negiligent, as if not quite believed and the waitress, new to the place as she is, gets gazed at. Not a word, just a look and a subtle shift in efficiency transpires. "Other than ground zero fall outs from some rather critical skyfalls lately, I imagine blissful peace. Mind..." he frowns faintly, looking at Nick. "I don't think you -are- a mutant, are you?"


Nick Drago has posed:
"Feeling like I have one less obstacle to start getting things back to normal." Nick answers, expression growing curious to the question about homo mutagens. He glances over to Sinister being he's the only doctor he knows at the table. Although, that doesn't seem like something a Surgeon or Psychologist wou-

Nick you ****ing idiot. You're in Mutant Town. There are CLINICs here too.

Ok yep. That question was for Nathaniel.

"They don't have much of a tea selection here anyways. Just Lipton. Black."

Sinister's question to his status gives pause. "Considering interviews and things of that nature...That's a question I decided long ago to never answer unless it was medically necessary."


Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer shrugs. It's not like there's not other people other than mutants that hang out in Mutant Town. Case in point, with him being here. Also, there's the fact that this is really just a place that's sort of safe for mutants to come and not be judged. "If it's tea Nathaniel wants, then there are many ways for it to be acquired...even as we sit here. Just a lot of times we rely on what's on the menu as opposed to...what's not." He shrugs then, glancing up at the ceiling. A bit at a loss for things to talk about in the moment, he just basks in the silence. And the not-silence. The unspoken vibes coming from others in this eatery.


Sinister has posed:
"I didn't think so," - but Nick didn't answer, exactly. A click of the finger softly given and a little finger-gun at Lucifer follows. "It's a little too much like a hassle, at times. But yes, the question was mostly directed at myself, not you..." Wait, what? Another smile is gifted to the room at large, which fades slowly away. "I am not liking what I have been seeing though, at the clinics and reports from the field, in the ongoing condition of mutation and otherwise. There have been considerably more malignacies of late and though nature wins out, i do dislike when it does."

That statement seems muted and a little clipped.


Nick Drago has posed:
The pale eyes flick over to Sinister as he answers for him. When he follows it up by addressing the confusion about the question, it causes for a slight smirk. "Well, answer it out loud at least." He amends himself, lifting up his cup."If I am, I'm a late bloomer."

He sips his drink as Nathaniel gives a general answer. It takes a moment for Nick to parse out what is being said. A general confirmation that the man is affiliated or in contact in some way with the clinics around here... And he seems to be focused on the types of mutations showing up. Malignant seems a term one would associate with cancer, which in itself was a mutation that even non-mutants could suffer from when cells started produc-

Oh. Some of the mutations witnessed probably were not really beneficial. Which... yeah. The girl who could heal others by basically taking people's injuries onto herself, without even lessening the severity of the damage- yeah, that was a pretty shitty power.

As the server comes up with the coffee pot, Nick lowers the cup and slides it closer her way so she won't have to reach as far. "Thank you." He states to the server, sliding his cup back once it has been topped off.


Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer has practically zoned out of the current conversation at hand and is still more just reading the room because it's fun and relatively easy. When the waitress comes over to give coffee, his head turns just a tad to regard her with a slight smirk both on his lips and in his gaze. THere's a blip, a half second where the waitress seems to falter - though only in stature and not at her job - no coffee is spilled in the moment. "Hmph. Trivial." It's muttered before he releases the waitress and then shifts in his seat a bit before rolling his head to the side to regard Sinister for a lingering moment before he takes a breath. "I'm bored."


Sinister has posed:
Sinister's eyes shift to Nick and there's a look below brow at the man. Why? Whoever knows. Only him, perhaps. Then with a cluck of the tongue, he finishes his coffee up in one go, flicking his wrist in the general vicinity of all. "Yes, that," a cursory reponse, but occasionally, brevity is the soul of wit. And saves time.

But to Lucifer -- "Oh, really now?" arching a brow, he glances around the diner and presses lips together in fleeting thought. "Well, there's a sky to fly and likely some mischief to be had in other zones. Breakfast to go?"


Nick Drago has posed:
There's also clubs in the area, if you felt like checking those out." Nick offers up in regards to the declaration of boredom. He considers Sinister's suggestion, "Although yes, flying's more fun."

The feather in hand twirls a bit, admiring it, "Do I get to keep the feather?"


Lucifer has posed:
"There is a sky to fly. There are also a few other things I could think for us to do..." Lucifer offers this to Sinister and smirks. "Either way it would mean breakfast would be to go, yes." Then he looks over to Nick and shrugs. "It's nothing but a feather now, so sure? If you try to use it for bragging rights, I can't promise how far it might take you but I don't need it back or anything. It's not like I can replace it where it came from."


Sinister has posed:
Sinister glances around once again, a look about that has everyone looking elsewhere as he does so. Rising, there's a slowness that bespeaks purpose in his movement and with a deep breath, he flexes his shoulders -- from HIS back, unfurls a pair of wings, shorter in the primary than Lucifer's which are overlong, they look more like a raven's wing. Only, they're lit from beneath so to speak; they're black as midnight at the roots, but limned in hellish flame hue at the tips. Each is flicked, settled after a brief flare and a nod is given. "Either way, the night is young..." with a wry touch of lips, he heads to collect the pancakes, bacon, toast and other whatnots and saunters to the door. A flick has the wings arched and ready to go. "Coming?"

Nobody is watching but Nick.