16123/Interlude: Odd questions by the hearth

Interlude: Odd questions by the hearth
Date of Scene:	13 March 2024
Location:	Lucifer's Penthouse, Melville
Synopsis:	A theory about the Order of history and motivations of the Celestial Host, turns out to be the equivalent of Spring Break. Oh well! It's nice to view the cosmos in the comfort of one's own living room tho.
Cast of Characters:	Sinister, Lucifer, Phantasm (Drago)

---

Sinister has posed:
The night can be long. It's particularly bothersome when you cannot or do not need to sleep. But resting can vary depending on your perspective; intense focus and pondering slow thoughts can each have thier own respite for an active mind. Contemplating eyelids is often a good way, as is well known, for sorting out pernicketty problems.

But it's not a nap at the moment, it's the hearthside and an indoor under-the-stars wine drinking session on a sheepskin rug on the floor. The heavens are showing a fantastic display of the birth of a miniature star from one of the rings of saturn exploding some energy. It isn't due to last, but it's quite a fascinating thing to observe.

From the comfort of your own home...

"I've been thinking about Michael..." comes Sin's voice after a bit. Not the most romantic of things to say to the older twin in that particular scenario, is it?

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer is mid-sip of wine and watching space explode when Nathaniel says those words. He doesn't choke on his drink per se, but there's a definite hitch in the giddy up of his drinking. They had been laying there, under the stars, watching live time of space events when this happens. "You have?" Asking this as he glances over to his lover. There could be a million and one reasons why his twin brother is on the Doctor's mind. Michael has been trying to turn over a new leaf. If two attempts at coming and offering olive branches and apologies count as new leaf turning.

It's not even that Lucifer is against his brother actually becoming a trusted member of the choir. It's just that the twinned archangel has to hold himself against eons of actions taken against Lucifer. All the moments of spitting in his face, or turning of the back. Of mocks and ridicules... of trying to come and force him back to hell after he decided to give up the crown. Only to end up sort of ruling Hell and vacationing on Earth at the same time.

There's a breath, and a wait, because he's already sort of asked for more detail.

Sinister has posed:
"Yes," -- oh, there's a lot of reasons indeed and judging by the mild frown as his gaze travels over the growing ring of bright that heralds the explosion of hydrogen in deep space and the burning of all that detritus, Sinister chews on his cheek. He sips at his own wine, whetting the whistle.

"Given how much of a daddy's good little soldier he's attempted to be over the millenia, I've been striving to understand why he'd break one of the cardinal rules of Heaven and mingle with a mortal woman. Some of that nonsense is practically apocryphal." More cheek chewing.

"So I had a look back at old theology texts, then looked over the microfiches in my own mind library, to see if there was anything to cross reference. I'm baffled, in a confabulatory sort of fashion."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer lofts a brow and takes another sip of wine, sitting up just a bit more as he floats over all necessary items for cigarette smoking. He lights two and offers one over. "Are you baffled because of the aforementioned conundrum of wondering why Daddy's Good Little Soldier Boy would mingle... or because you actually - maybe - found a reason why but you can't comprehend it?" Asking this much and then he holds up a finger. "I'm not saying that last bit as a slight against you... you often discuss how you are baffled by the mystical, even when you are as close to it as you are by being with me." Explaining that much just to make sure Nathaniel doesn't defend himself against such words.

"Honestly if you've found any clue as to why, I would love to know. I would also like to point out that even tho I know he broke a rule, he went against Dad, I haven't held that over his head. Nor reminded him constantly that he broke a rule and still gets to remain within the kingdom while my path will for ever and always keep me out." He huffs a bit. Drinks. And smokes.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister takes the cigarette, chuckling softly as he props himself up on one arm. He shifts so he's facing the lord of Hell, looking at him steadily for a while. "I know what you're getting at -- and honestly a lot of the mystic makes a weird sense, only in the fact that there are rules, they just seem intuitive, rather than logical. The feel, rather than the fact?" He shrugs his uppermost shoulder.

Ash is flicked. "It made me wonder if a lot of what he's done -to- you or against you, has been the equivalent of holding up a megaphone and yelling 'Look it's the goodyear blimp!' whilst trying to whisk evidence under the carpet. Point at the major transgression and maybe nobody will pay attention to your own? I don't know." He sniffs, looks over the heavens idly, then the devil.

"Jealousy is a lot of it, I suspect. But I think it might be other things, also. I mean, we'll never know without managing to pick apart his thought process, but..." he shrugs the shoulder up again. "According to my mind library, there were some odd references, mostly in zionism and the torrah, to the names of things and the power of that. And in those texts are also the counting of the Seraphim, of which you're one. You all got charged with duties, didn't you? In the beginning of things, when Him up there was trying to establish he's the one and only."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer blinks, goes to say something, and then blinks again. "You know. That's a pretty solid theory and...would make sense in the end of all things." This as he takes another drag off his cigarette and flicks ashes. "Pretty much. Though it's interesting how the Lightbringer is the one who went all dark... and the darkened to be akin to the light..." He makes this offhand comment like it's supposed to mean something. Then he looks towards the balcony. "You know, we keep talking about him and his ears are going to burn and he's going to come down here and wonder why we're talking about him all of a sudden. And without his guard dog, I don't know if he'll survive the trip."

A shrug is given then as Lucifer looks up just as another brilliant flash of gas and elements surges in space. "Mmn, the Cat Eye nebula would be interesting to see. Or the Pillars of Creation. Ooh, we could even track comets this way, couldn't we?" Apparently, Lucifer is a space nut.

Who would of known?

Sinister has posed:
Isn't it interesting that they have the cosmos in their living room ceiling now? Amazing that.

"Yes. Although four dimensional holoimaging bogs out sometimes with the computational algorhythms of that. It's why I've got the program dedicating to specifics and collating the material as it needs it." Computers fart when they're overloaded? Yes. Mayhap indeed.

"There's a reason though, why coming to an understanding, is called 'enlightenment' -- why we say 'shed light on it'. But well... he isn't darkness itself, per se. That's at the center of all things and /isn't/ you. That's called the Adversary, in the most ancient of texts, you and it got conflated quite a bit. Apples and oranges are both fruit, but they're not the same thing."

His cigarette gets a flick, a drag. "Seriously though. Raphael's his guard dog now? Hah. I have a feeling that ought to make some of them crow."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer chuckles. "Well. I think whatever is making this happen is doing a fantastic job. And even if it cannot be a very clear, vibrant view...I still think the colors are beautiful no matter how they show up." Commenting this with a grin as he finishes his cigarette and his wine. "And I know he's not darkness itself... but things about him are dark... probably why he gets away with things here and there. When no one is watching... not even Dad."

Lucifer said what he said, and he meant it. How it's perceived by others is their own mind processing words.

Just as he's about to make another sort of joke about Raphael and being a guard dog, there's a bit of a whisp in the air. The sound of a breath or two and then Michael appears. This is, of course, probably the calmest entrance he has ever made - and the first time he sort of made his presence known before appearing. "Firstly, I reject the premise that Raphael is - in any way - a guard dog. For me or anyone else. Secondly. Why am I the sudden topic of conversation? Curiously speaking."

Sinister has posed:
"It is. It's a spectacular show -- I wonder if you actually see colours and light the same way. That's one of those things I can't ever know, without somehow being you, which isn't liable to happen..." a little refresher of the rich red ferment-of-grape is had a silent indulgence in the smoke to follow it and he's in the process of exhalation, when the 'whisper' comes.

There's a stir of echoes in that gesture and he looks about quizzically and skeptically for the movement where there should be none, only for the voice to announce who just arrived.

Michael is given a rather long regard, along with a fresh sip of wine, before there's any reply. Well, if he WILL come all interrupting...

"Just because you reject something, doesn't mean it is in fact untrue. Rejection just means a lack of desire to accept, not necessariy that this is an objective thing. Evening, Michael..." he looks over to Lucifer, then back. "...The shadows are deep. And I think I might have landed shy of the target, but close enough to it for the sake of things. I was debating why you, the 'good' son, broke the rules He set out. I think I have hypotheses you see, but it's all theory until proven, one way or another."

Lucifer has posed:
Michael gives a little smirk and lifts a single shoulder in a shrug. "You're absolutely right. It is - I suppose - more opinion that I believe him not to be a guard dog of sorts. He does, however, seem to bring about a calm that helps us keep things civil these recent times." He says this much and then tilts his head at what Nathaniel says. "I would be interested in hearing your hypothesis before I provide you the answer."

Lucifer felt Michael before hearing him, but really didn't say much on the matter because soon enough Michael had appeared. He allows the exchange between Michael and Nathaniel before he sits up a bit. "Hello Michael. It's...good to see you." It's sincere, but it took a moment to get out of his mouth, perhaps while he was deciding where to land on how he feels about Michael showing up.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"I do have to agree with Michael." A voice speaks up from over to the breakfast nook as a blond figure pulls out a chair. Raphael glances over to Lucifer and Sinister, giving a smile to them in greeting, "So many other terms that could have been used. Mediator perhaps? Hmm. Maybe that's more Gabriel's term-"

A finger lifts, "a-ha!" He points to Sinister. "How about... a consult? Or perhaps advisor?"

Sinister has posed:
Sinister reaches for Lucifer's side, giving him a light touch on the flank, trailing a little vapour trail of cigarette smoke with it. He eases back afterwards, inhales again and flicks the ashes where the go in this particular company. And there's the 'watchdog'

"Raphael... consult works. Although second opinion wielder might be more accurate?" The gaze travels between all three Archangels, then the grey eyes reassume their truth and become red, the colour leeching form his skin to that porcelain white. His teeth are pleasantly ordinary shaped though. Good mood? Good mood. Another sip of wine.

"Well, He seems to like a sense of Order. Both in the way things are laid out with prime numbers and with heirarchy..." he makes a little stepped effect in the air with his cigarette and wineglass. "WHich puts the two at the beginning as being the twins. And in the order of things, you have what came -first- being Darkness..." he points the cigarette at Michael. "And /Then/ there was light..." to Lucifer. "Which first off, makes Michael older, probably by a fraction. And also gives his gift of his theurgic energy as being creation itself." And then to Lucifer, he gestures. "But light gives shape. Definition. You can shape, Lucifer. Make magic happen -- or a narrative -- or a direction. But you can't create someething from nothing. He wanted the two of you in harmony, at one point and I wonder what went wrong along the way that creation and the shaping of it all, got into an enormous argument."

Sucking on his cigarette, he gestures at Michael again. "But you can't shape. The children of the dragon... /can/. Except that they're annoyingly mortal, most of them. And you threw them into the deep end, by your bloodline, being able to both create -and- shape. They've been hunted across existence. Haven't they?"

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer glances behind himself a bit when he hears Raphael speaking words, and gives his brother a half smirk and a chuckle. "Consult is good I suppose. Or the one who levels heads." Agreeing with what Nathaniel said to a point and then adding his own twist to things. Though he isn't sure what more he can add to the conversation at this time and just listens to what Nathaniel says and then turns his gaze to Michael.

"So your theory is that I deliberately messed with a particular line? I didn't know what I was getting into at the time. It was a time of sabbatical. Several of us had taken forms and come down to Earth to mingle, listen, learn." He says this and then takes a breath. "We heard stories all the time. The tales of the Nephalim. So I decided to leave a mark. I just didn't realize how much of a mark I was leaving." He goes silent then, perhaps thinking back on those times for a moment, and a soft smile forms on his lips. "It wasn't done in malice...that much I can promise."

"Your promises don't go very far with this group yet, Michael..." Lucifer warns, but then says, "But I believe you."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Ah but secondary opinion is STILL a consult." Raphael points out, apparently not at all concerned about the dog comment. "And it's quicker to say."

Being that the discussion appears to be revolving around the twins and a general theory, Raphael drifts to silence, listening to the discussion. Hearing the 'Children of the dragon' comment, he blinks, looking over to Michael. Despite the general confirmation, there's no look of surprise.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister draws himself further up onto his elbow, then to a seated half-curl, so he might comfortably look at all three siblings.

The fact that Lucifer believes, is perhaps telling. "Huh," well, that's vexing. Blissful happenstance and by chance getting your end away, seems somehow less... Graceful? Probably.

It was so good it ends up happening twice. "Huh!" a little more surprised seeming, this time.

Lucifer has posed:
Michael notes the sort of silence in the room only broken twice by Nathaniel's huhs. He takes a little breath in and then looks between everyone. "So something about me hooking up with the Dragon line millenia ago is affecting Nick somehow? I thought it was the reason why we're all sort of tied to him as Saints..." He lifts a hand to scratch at his head a moment. "Mmn. I owe him an apology. For a few things. I can add that to the list I guess..."

"Well. Now that we're all here and being friendly, who wants to watch the cosmos do cosmic things? Live before your very eyes...likely in ways even dad couldn't show us..." Lucifer interjects with a whole new subject.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"It would explain much." Raphael comments, "It's likely the union with the O hEigneachain line that cemented it. Otherwise this conversation would have been had much earlier than now."

As Lucifer brings up the star show, he nods, looking over to Michael. "Ooh this should be good."

Sinister has posed:
Sinister clucks his tongue, looking askance for a few moments, at absolutely nothing. Then, rather obliquely, he flexes his shoulders with a reach-around of his free hand, to grab something by the lack-of-existence. He returns with a feather in his fingertips, all black with the red underglow and just a little fringe of gold. It's still there. And once again, for good measure: "Huh."

Then with the topic change and the other observations made, he glances at the trio once again, then lays himself back on the sheepskin, cigarette surrendered as he extends one hand to the 'heavens' and makes them all... dance.

The nebulae, the pillars of creation, a swirl and a sweep through the spiral arm of this galaxy, then the horse-head... where all the colours dance.