3196/Lap of Lux-ury

Lap of Lux-ury
Date of Scene:	19 November 2017
Location:	The Lux
Synopsis:	The Truth is Out There
Cast of Characters:	Lucifer, Phoenix

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Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer is settled in the owner's box as it were. The first thing one notices about Lux is the luxury - fine furniture, high tech lights and sound, all of the bonuses. The large bar is tended by folks and the staff always has a theme. Today happens to be old Rome, and everyone is dressed in togas and gladiator gear. It's a lot of skin, a lot of shimmer and shine, and it only helps with the vibe of the place. Even he has gotten into the act, dressing as Caesar. He sits there, red cloak over his Emperor's attire, his wand with the Eagle of the Republic settled on it. He is enjoying a drink, and yes, to a degree he could give The Hellfire Club a run for its money on the surface, though to e fair, Lux doesn't run nearly as deeply with as many 'speciality' rooms as The Hellfire Club does. No, he sits there, looking out over the place, wondering which soul catches his attention today.

Phoenix has posed:
The hour is late but that is when the young mutant wanted to meet. Club Lux. Jean had never heard of it. Spending most of her time in upstate New York, that wasn't so unusual. Stepping in the door, she pauses at the atmosphere and frowns slightly, looking back outside at the line of people she just got away from when the bouncer let her in the door. The place is certainly popular. Taking a deep breath, she continues into the club and moves toward the bar where Jessica said they should meet.

Jean was warned to dress for the occassion. The dress she wears is form fitting with a lower neckline, the skirt ending just above her knees. The back is low with a pair of straps connecting the shoulders to the dress just below the middle of her back. A pair of strappy heels are on her feet. Her hair has been left to fall in a fiery cascade around her shoulders. She moves to the bar and settles on a stool there.

For Lucifer, the entire world goes up in flames with her arrival. What is an ordinary woman to most people in the building is instead a fiery conflagration. Upon closer inspection, he will be able to tell this woman is the host to a cosmic entity of enormous power.

His night just got a whole lot more interesting perhaps.

Lucifer has posed:
Oh yes. Indeed he is looking around and he can't help but smile to himself as his gaze meets yours. Cosmic Power, meet Cosmic Power. He gets up almost as if he were floating, lifting from the sofa and under his breath, the quiet "Helloooo sweetheart..." the sort of Australian accent in his voice, the steps he takes, walking over towards the bar and picking out two drinks, giving the girl a once-over and trying to decide what it is that woman may like and he settles on appletini's - not exactly a martini but something both a mix of manly and yet feminine with the swirl of caramel around the rim of the glass.

Walking over to the woman as she settles at the bar, he smiles, "My goodness. Giant colossal power...itty bitty living space..." he says, quoting the old Aladdin line while referring to the human form. "Though...maybe not -that- little...Lucifer Morningstar. Welcome to my place. I -do- hope I can be of service." Everything...and I mean -everything- about him exhudes sin....there are about...five people on the planet who somehow typically remain unaffected by him though he often has to direct that power. Otherwise, a person is usually just affected by sinking into their own vices at times. He doesn't use any powers at the moment however, just his straight up normal charisma.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean immediately stiffens with his first words. It's not like she's aflame so how he knows what is inside of her, she has no idea. It implies he has his own powers and abilities which immediately has her on guard. She frowns slightly as the appletini is placed in front of her, turning her attention to the man instead.

He's certainly easy on the eyes. The accent is dreamy. The smile breathtaking. She finds herself starting to smile, shoulders relaxing.

There is a sudden pulse of heat from her body, expanding outward like a heater may have just kicked on nearby. It isn't uncomfortable, just a wash of warmth that is gone as fast as it arrived. With that moment though, the stiffness returns to her body as the Phoenix Entity snaps shields around her mind and body. Were he trying to use his powers, it may be effective but it would come down to a force of will with that primal force. Since he is using his charm for the moment, the Phoenix is able to shield her host.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Morningstar. You have a lovely club here," she says in a polite tone, not offering her hand nor reaching for that drink.

Lucifer has posed:
The drink doesn't have to be reached for. It's slid towards you freely, and he lifts his, tipping it to you. "Well, isn't that a clever trick," he says with a smile, having sensed, something...and while yes he is not reading your mind he can sense that it also isn't as...available as perhaps it was. It's not a reading as much as an awareness. Of course, the soul is much harder to hide and so he would know you were there because he is aware when any creature with a soul is around.

Still, it is not a contest of powers he is intent upon. Not that he wouldn't mind a contest...specifically one of the physical variety and with far less clothing, but one doesn't simply walk into a game like that with a woman such as this. No, this is big game, the most dangerous prey, and that makes things -far- more interesting.

"It is," he says, without modesty but without braggadocio either. "It turned out well. It has the feel to it I wanted. Still though, with you here it is far more lovely than normal. Tell me...what do you desire," he asks, and to be fair, that -is- one of his powers. One that people occasionally find hard to resist, answering that question as it is his job to reach into the soul and find what it covers. But he's not -deliberately- using the power on you, your answer not meant to be any more influenced than what you might share with this handsome stranger. Still though, the innuendo, the way he says the word desire, it sounds almost...magical, like something to be quested for.

Phoenix has posed:
Her glass is picked up in her right hand and tilted in his direction. When he takes his sip, she does not. Instead, she sets her glass back on the bar. A moment later, she is sliding it back his direction. Then she pulls his glass over. She picks it up, gives a mock toast, then takes a sip. Perhaps a little odd but the likelihood of him slipping something in his own drink is rather low. And she doesn't trust anyone giving her drinks when she didn't see it get poured herself or watch it like a hawk.

Despite all this, his power over the soul cannot be denied. It isn't truly telepathy or a type of power she has ever encountered.

What does she desire? It's such a simple question one would think but it isn't simple at all. "Peace and understanding for mutants. Love. A balance with the other part of myself." She realizes she's rattling things off and stops, her brow furrowing slightly as she crosses her legs, resting a foot on the brass rail below for comfort. She never speaks that freely to strangers. Why is she blurting such things out?

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer grins quietly, "Clever girl," he says but as you take the drink he sipped from and then you do, he simply takes the other and raises that in toast then. A little chuckle to himself, "For the record...it is horribly bad for business if the owner of an establishment gives a girl a drink and she later wakes up rufied with her dress off. I promise darling, if I -ever- get you out of that dress you will be aware of every moment of it. Where's the fun if it's anything different, mmm? Drugs are for amateurs and those with a can't do attitude. Me...." and he takes in a deep breath, rubbing those hands together, "Oh me, I a-dore a challenge."

There is something that just...oozes from him, especially when he speaks and such. That smile, that excitement. It's absolutely visceral, palpable, born from within him and not int he least bit faked. it'd be nearly impossible to fake this sort of passion. No, he loves it as he listens to what you say. "I see....not too much. Merely the end to an ages old battle, a better understanding of one self, and then that mystical feeling that we all seek. Well i can tell you that the one is not likely to happen in our lifetime....well I take that back - I imagine we have a different meaning of 'lifetime' don't we darling."

Yes, he grins a bit, and he taps his chin. "The one may happen before our light extinguishes. The other is likely an interesting dilemma since a normal mortal mind couldn't possibly hope to contain what you have going on in there but I sense you're not an ordinary mortal mind are you? Oh so many -juicy- things to get to discover about you. Please, tell me your name." He hasn't touched upon lov eyet.

Phoenix has posed:
That little furrow between her brows doesn't disappear. A different meaning for lifetime. Jean has to agree with that considering about a year ago, she should have been dead. Instead, she is sitting here in a bar, drinking a lovely appletini. Her companion is a charming man who knows entirely too much. Yet, not her name. So he isn't a telepath who can see through her shields. What is he? Who is he? She has a name but that doesn't mean anything. For him to be able to sense the entity joined, he has to have something special about him. Other than his charisma. She is both amused, enticed and horrified all at once.

It's one of the strangest moments of her life.

"I can't say I know what our lifetimes means. I am at a bit of a disadvantage. You seem to know much about me but I now nothing other than your name and that this is your club." She tilts her head slightly, fiery curls slipping forward over her shoulder. "My name is Jean. Jean Grey."

And in that moment she does something she may regret. Tentatively, she reaches out with her mind toward his, trying to scan his surface thoughts and get an idea of who she is dealing with.

Lucifer has posed:
As you scan his thoughts, as he senses it, there's a chuckle. "Oh dear...what do we have here..." he asks, and as you do so he does reach to take one of your hands. It's a light touch, his fingers pressign to yours, palm to palm, presumably. He doesn't hold it though. You could pull back any time. "And to think you didn't even buy me dinner first. If I were a man trying to do this, I would so be in trouble. Just take...take...take...'

But he doesn't stop you from reading his thoughts at first. In fact, he smiles widely, his gaze dropping to taht dress and you can see him look at you, see him appreciate your stunning beauty, and then a few far more lascivious thoughts.

You start to get further, you see a man, a black man, one he calls brother. YOu see a mysterious figure who fills his thoughts frequently, a woman, a cop...pretty...confusing to him. You start to see more, you start to see an expanse, the universe, you start to see darkness, fire and flame...and then he too attempts to close his mind. There is an...enormity there. You can tell that you could see more, in fact you can tell there is MUCH mroe to see. This is not a man, nor a mutant. This is something...else.

"Now now....I never give it all up on the first date, lovely..."

Phoenix has posed:
How he senses the mental probe, Jean doesn't know. He doesn't stop her though and she isn't going to just back away when she has an opportunity. What she finds there has her cheeks flushing scarlet. Her lips part in a gasp of shock and she drops that hand from his quickly. She hadn't even realized they were touching palms. She turns quickly to face the bar instead of him, bowing her head slightly so her hair falls around her face and obscures it from his sight. She can feel the heat of that blush on her fact, her neck, even the upper portion of her chest.

Her mind remains with his and goes deeper, past those lurid thoughts which she suspects he put there on purpose as she finds more. Darkness. Fire. Flames. The Phoenix within her roars to life, paying closer attention even as his shields fall into place and take away that tiny glimpse she had been given.

Suddenly, Jean is terrified. Her other half is intrigued. "Th..." Her voice fails her and she clears her throat before she tries again. "This isn't a date." As though that matters in the grand scheme of things.

When she can feel the blush has faded enough, she turns her head to look at him again although her cheeks are still slightly pink. "What are you?" she asks in a whisper.

Lucifer has posed:
There is a deep laugh from him as you ask that question, and it almost seems to echo as he smiles, "My dearest Jean..." he says with a smile. "Oh I think you know the questions to ask but are not nearly ready enough for the answers."

He grins though and as she looks up to him again, as you turn he does cup your chin, gently. He doesn't 'grip' it, he is just, keeping you looking at him for a moment. "I am one of the first, and will likely be one of the last. Which I know, sounds so very cryptic and droll," and even as he says it you can hear that he has such disdain for many of the ways he's spoken of, the titles and things. And yet even as he speaks, with that contact now you can feel your gown shift, the black dress change and it has turned instead to a blend of red and orange, a look of flame that is -stunning- in the way that it trails from black at the bottom to red, then orange, then a lighter orange and yet it is no longer the soft cloth you came in as - no, it is some sort of...latexish material now, catching the light, so that when you move the flames actually seem to flicker.

"You should not hide your face. There are always things coming, some good, some bad. But you should not look away from them. You must face them, head on," he explains. "But I have to say that if you want to know what I am, then we're going to have to play one -hell- of a game of I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Phoenix has posed:
As he manipulates the matter that makes up her dress, the alarm bells are going off in strident in Jean's head. His words say a lot yet nothing. First, last. Not ready for the answers. Matter manipulation is a high level power. Throwing in his ability to see the entity inside her, to know the fiery nature of the Phoenix without even having seen a manifestation of her powers. Is he as she is? Joined with an entity? Or is he one of those types of entities? Perhaps he is merely a high powered being yet she fears it isn't that simple.

His phrasing is amusing, making her want to smile despite herself. Such is is charm, his way of using words a finely honed weapon. The tightness of the gown forces her mind back to more annoyance than amusement though.

Her own power flares. The gown he has wrought with nothing but his thoughts disappears, only to be replaced with a green gown that is loose and flowing. It has a scooped neckline instead of showing off her form as her original black gown had. It falls to about mid calf were she standing.

"Don't do that again," she says with a hint of steel in her tone.

Lucifer has posed:
"Oh bother...." he says. "Now I've made you mad. Though be fair, you started it," he says and he taps his head. "Mine was far less invasive. Plus...you should have seen how it looked. Want to see yourself how I saw you?" He taps his temples again, offering to let you see to him how you looked in the dress...

And so he leans back then, taking a sip of his appletini. "My, I haven't had this much fun with a new guest in a long time. You, Jean Grey, are far more fascinating than I expected. You're lovely...but lovely can be found, or made, or an illusion if one is lucky enough to have that little bit of skill."

"You're feisty. And -that- gets my attention. Far more than a pretty face or figure," he says, winking as he looks to your scooped neck then back up. "But, be fair. What I did was most mundane. Yours was invasive -and- you didn't ask first. Not that I mind...this time. You didn't go too far, or too deep..not -nearly- as deeply as I would go."

He sits back and watches you, "but you're curious. And so am I. So what do we do now? I mean you're clearly going to want time to be a little less...offended by my sense of fashion. You really should look though..."

Phoenix has posed:
"Being able to modify matter that way is not mundane," Jean points out, unnecessarily she feels. He knows precisely how powerful he is. He is toying with her. Yet, he dose have a valid point that she was the one that fired the first volley, so to speak. She did seek his mind out. So his little turn shot wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.

At his offer to peek into his mind, her cheeks pinken again and she turns to her drink, taking a sip to buy herself time. After the visuals he shared when she first peeked into his thoughts, she does not want to go back in there and see what he might have conjured up this time. To quote the Genie yet again, she can be taught. She isn't taking a look at his thoughts this time.

"Thank you for the offer but I believe a peek will be unnecessary," she says simply as she turns to look at him again. "As for what we should do, I believe I should try to find my friend who was meeting me here."

Lucifer has posed:
To which he laughs. It's a merry laugh. A few people turn to look and Caesar just shakes hsi head, "Spoil sport," he says to you, that grin showing you all you needed to know. You made the right choice. But still, as he licks the appletini off his lips, there's a little moment that the light catches the moisture in an almost perfect freeze-frame and he grins, catching your eye, winking just one time. "Ohhhh, a friend? Is she even remotely as fascinating as you? I do hope so," he says with a bit of a chuckle.

"If she isn't I may die of disappointment. You are everything fun and fascinating," he whispers. "I do hope you and your friend enjoy your stay. For any misunderstanding, your drinks for you and your friend are on the house tonight. I do hope you'll come back and see me soon. I feel like we have...worlds of things to talk about. So...very...much to discover."

Phoenix has posed:
Does he just know it's a female? Or is he grasping at straws, guessing in an attempt to find out if she has a man. Jean isn't sure and she doesn't feel the need to ask outright which it is. Tempting though it may be. "That won't be necessary. We can pay for our own drinks." She isn't sure she wants to owe this man anything.

She takes another sip of her drink, licking the caramel off her lips before putting the glass back down on the small napkin. Then she turns her barstool and rises, stepping to the ground below and looking around in the hopes Jessica will be in sight. No such luck.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Morningstar." In her mind, she is telling herself she will never come back to this place, never see this man again. There will be no worries about what his abilities are or are not. It simply doesn't matter.

Yet, if he is like her, if he is balancing his humanity with a primal cosmic entity, shouldn't she seek answers by talking to him?

Lucifer has posed:
Mr. Mornginstar watches you rise and he steps back to help you. "Drinks on me everyone, for the next hour!" He calls it out to the whole bar and the place cheers as he smiles to you. "See....now no one has to pay," he says witha chuckle. But as you turn to look, as you gaze out to see if your friend Jessica has arrived you feel his presence, behind you, his hand seeking yours for a moment more and his breath can be felt near your earlobe as he leans in to whisper something....

Phoenix has posed:
As he touches her hand, Jean goes still. As he moves in close behind her, she stands most stiffly, about to pull away when he whispers. He is close enough she can feel the heat of him yet he isn't touching anything but her hand. His breath is warm on her ear but again, the lips don't touch. At those words, her eyes go wide and she turns slowly, looking at his face and wondering if this is some trick.

The suspicion is there, written on her face for him to see. It's no surprise, surely. Considering her cautiousness from the moment they first met.

She should ignore him. She should just walk away and never look back. Yet, what he just offered is too much for either half of her to resist.

She looks him directly in the eye and reaches out with her mind, touching his again to see that which he has offered to share.

Lucifer has posed:
And with that, the trap is set as she turns to look at him. He smiles, as she reaches out with her mind. His other hand finds hers and slowly he moves, circilng, turning, as she reads his mind so that Jean's back is one more time near the bar, as she looks up to him.

His mind is opened and the first image is a trick, of sorts. One meant to draw her attention. One meant to keep her focused on what he wants to show her versus what he promised she would see. Will she be able to resist the first?

Phoenix has posed:
The images fill Jean's mind and she draws in her breath slowly through her nose. She had thought she knew what to expect.

She was wrong.

As her gaze remains on his, there is a sudden flare of flames in her pupils. A moment later, her eyes are no longer as they had been but living flame as the being within her rises. That glimpse has drawn her, just as he intended with his trap. The Phoenix rises as flames being to lick across her skin.

Suddenly the entire bar goes still. No one moves. It is as though everyone was frozen at that precise moment. Some have drinks half lifted, othere are caught mid step on the dance floor. No one moves. No one sees.

The flames flare, swirling around her body like living things. A pair of fiery wings appear behind her back, spreading out behind her as her clothing shifts. A moment ago, it was material. Now she is wearing a literal gown of flames as the heat pours off her in waves. Her lips curve upwards in a smirk as the Phoenix introduces herself with a flare of power filling the room. When the form of Jean speaks, her voice is a whisper yet at the same time it is a booming scream that hurts the ears. "I'VE SHOWN MINE. YOUR TURN."

Lucifer has posed:
"Well....well well WELL!"

He claps, his hands coming up to his mouth, fingers together, and he says, playfully, "Oh I had -NO- idea. Oh...and what a form to choose to hide in too. I -so- respect your choice."

He does tilt his head to the side and there's a crackign of his neck before those flames you cover yourself with seem a little dimmer, a little darker. You can see as he shifts a glowing sword of pure energy at his side, it too glowing in flames, flames of eternal light, of eternal power, flames akin to the Etenral Flame kept on Asgard and yet...while that is a single fire, it is almost as if his sword is the source, the difference in intensity and might.

You can see in the reflection that on his back are two stumps where something should have been, wings like yours. And yet you can feel the immensity of his being as he lets down his guards as well, as he remains looking mortal, and yet you can sense an immortality. "Lucifer...Samael...Morningstar. At your service you gorgeous being you..."

Phoenix has posed:
The Phoenix considers him for long moments. Although those flaming eyes have no pupils to be able to see where she is focused, there is no doubt by the sheer weight of her look. It is like a physical thing as she looks him over in his true form. Her voice is lower but that level of immensity is still there within the whispering scream. "You are The Fallen one," she murmurs, lips twisting up in a smirk. "The one they call the Devil or Satan." She shakes her head and a look of disgust crosses her features. "So one sided those explanations. They do not show the full story. Things they are unable to understand with their weak minds."

Her gaze shifts to the weapon at his side, the power held there. Then back to him, so much more than that blade he carries. She bows her head slightly, like a goddess looking to one of her worshipers. Perhaps that is exactly what she believes he should be, despite what he is.

"I am Fire and Life incarnate. I am Phoenix."

Lucifer has posed:
"I see...." he says, a smile as you talk of the Fire and Life. "Rebirth, awakening, renewal," he says. "That which the flame brings down will be born again fresh. I respect that which you are and that which you bring," he offers. An even deeper bow as you speak to the misunderstanding of what caused him to be cast ouf ot he heavens and who he is.

"If you know of me, then you know that I don't lie. As much as I have no problem getting the better end of a deal, I do tell the truth. It makes it easier when one has to pay the consequences. This vessel that is yours, know that I will do no harm to it. When she is here, she is safe. She was interesting before, simply for being lovely and for what I felt. Knowing this...now...I would not dare cause strife between our beings. I would consider it an honor to see her and you again."

And he does bow politely. Is there a long game with Lucifer? Probably. Or maybe, he just knows that when something as strong or stronger than you comes along...you play nice. If there's one thing he has besides charm, it's excellent self-preservation skills. "This has been...lightening. May I request that you give me back my bar now, and let these mortals go back about their lives lest someone else notice that time seems to have stopped for a bit?"

Phoenix has posed:
There is a soft laugh from the entity as she bows her head. "She will not remember your true name or form but I will let her believe you are more, as am I. To protect her." Not to protect him. She knows that Jean would likely react negatively to the concept of associating with Lucifer. The Lucifer. "We will visit you again."

The change is instantaneous. One moment, she is flames and fire, a being that could eat the sun and planets if she chose. The next, it's gone. Jean Grey stands there, wearing the black dress she had arrived in. There is a bright smile on her face for Lucifer.

The bar comes back to life in that same moment, everyone continuing as they had been moments before. It is as though nothing ever happened.

"It's been so nice meeting you, Mr. Morningstar. I hope we can do it again sometime?" True to her word. the Phoenix has modified the mind of Jean Grey to have memories to support her beliefs that this has been a pleasant visit.

Lucifer has posed:
And with that, he takes her hand, the one that he had contact with, having put himself back into the right pose and he brings her knuckles up to his lips and in a far long and forgotten way of chivalry, he kisses the back of her hand before covering it with his own, giving a gentle squeeze and then her hand is returned to her. "I do so look forward to it. Should you need anything..." and he flicks his hand out to the side and a business card presents itself. On one side it simply says Morningstar, and on the other, his phone number. "Please...do not be a stranger."