Owner	Pose
Lucifer	And so the pair left Pine Barrens behind, with most of it's mysteries still unanswered. Perhaps something does exist there that even gives the Devil the creeps, but Lucifer isn't saying much about it. When they're just about home, Lucifer offers to go buy dinner - but also promises that he'll make dessert from scratch. Which will be helped if he goes to buy dinner. Whatever excuse will do that gives him time to go do a couple of things - buying dinner being one of them as promised - but also a little surprise he's finally decided to take action on. So dinner might be a little late - like it's a good extra hour or so before the elevator to the penthouse chimes and Lucifer steps through. You can't even see any discomfort on his face because he heals fast which makes getting tattoos a wonderful thing. There's a *scent* though. That special cream they use to begin the after-care and it mingles with the scent of crab legs, lobster, and all the sides one could think of to go with such a meal. "Sorry, love. Got a bit held up..." He offers a white lie and moves to set the food on the counter in the kitchen.
Sinister	Such a thing was not altogether something to worry himself over, a little diversion to collect food, meet you back home darling... all that jazz. So Sinister had returned, added a log to the fire and attuned the chimney so that it was mostly aesthetics, but the chill of November was taken care of. Then, he'd hunted through the various wines, looked at the liquors other than whiskey that were available, called down to Lux for mixers and done some research on cocktails. He'd run a bath. He'd had his bath. Hair products. Aftershave. Still no Lucifer. Lighting candles all over the place. Choosing music. Setting music up. Almost still no Lucifer. So it's with the ding of the elevator that he looks up from reading through one of Luci's books, some biography written by hand, legs crossed on the couch. But my goodness, the penthouse is alight with tiny lights. "Did they have to catch the lobster too?" he jokes with a crooked smile.
Lucifer	There's got to be some interesting stories to read in a self-written book of your lover, and nothing within the bindings that could be used against him. Nope. Nothing. And that all depends on where in the book you're reading! Lucifer notices the candle, the scent of fresh clean Nathaniel in the air, the ambiance of fire but also the warmth of the penthouse. He smirks. "Yes, and the crab. Also they had to hand shuck all the scallops that I demanded they sear up as well." He grins. "Sorry it took so long... but why don't you plate us up some of this delicious food and I'll get started on dessert. Have to make the dough and let it rest - which will give me just enough time to eat." As he turns, and his back is visible, no matter how the Devil heals, there sometimes is no thought process to clean the splotchy patches of blood that would appear on a shirt regardless of the care taken to heal the skin beneath. Mid back down to the lower.
Sinister	Sinister's eyes are those of a healer. When you take everything else out of him, he did study to be a medical doctor and surgeon when he was still human -and- was highly accredited when he was. Such things do not escape his attention and as Lucifer heads on past to set the food down and start the dough, his attention lingers on the spots of blood. A brow is arched as he sets the book aside, putting a leather tongue in place to hold his page. He rolls off of the couch, stepping up behind to stroke hands down Lucifer's sides in an affectionate manner that will none the less let him feel foreign textures beneath the cloth as he dips his lips to kiss the nape of neck and nibble around with a few more pecks, to the jugular just beneath the ear. He noses there too, right at the lobe. Fingertips knead some, an impromptu massage as he whispers "...your back is bleeding. Is there something you need to show me?" because honestly, chipper and not bothered does suggest no major injustice done, so there's no actual panic involved here. He steps aside then, brow lifted as he seeks gaze on that profile and moves beyond to get the plates and arrange dishes with a little bit of everything, aesthetically set out. Plus wine. Wine with seafood. White wine, in fact. Crisp and fresh, with a hint of plum, pear and raspberries.
Lucifer	Ah hah! Stroking hands hit a couple still oh so slightly tender spots and even though he's healed - practically - the tattooist insists to cover the new art with that cellophane mesh so there will be a textural difference on Lucifer's back. Then there's the kissing and the nibbling and the pecks in those just right spots to make the man quiver. "Mmmn... my back -was- bleeding. It bleeds no longer. I don't *need* to show you something, but I do *want* to show you something and you can choose to see it now or later. Depending on your level of anticipation." He smirks, shivers, returns the favor of a nibble or two against skin. "It's a gift to you, in a sense... at the end of the day.." All of this said while he still gathers all the ingredients for the promised dessert.
Sinister	Sinister's eyes blink as his head tilts in curiosity in one owlish gesture, closing eyes completely with a small smile thereafter a affections are returned. He takes a cloth to clean the edge of the plates of dribble, so that the presentation is perfected in the aftermath, choosing another sidelong glance to his partner. Watching the angel work, the way he moves, it's an engaging thing and it engages the doctor's features in a highly recognizable kind of fascination. "Unveil at the appropriate time then, if it is a gift, it should be gifted in the manner that feels choice," he opines, pouring the wine almost absently and then perching on one of the stools to simply watch expertise transpire. He himself should be quite good at baking, it's precise. ANything other than baking though, requires that intuition that is in part, instinct and a rarified knowledge of the finer things. "My nanny always used to say, sticky toffee pudding was easy to make, but hard to get right. I am rather certain that's accurate. Are we going to have some custard with it, too? Creme Anglais?"
Lucifer	"Who has sticky toffee pudding without creme anglais? Though that's served on the side is it not? Isn't sticky toffee pudding the one that's doused in rum and set aflame or am I thinking of something else?" Lucifer thinks on this for a moment and then shrugs off the shirt. "Also, perhaps I will have more luck if I begin baking shirtless..." And there, middle of his back, is the tattoo. A raven atop a skull from which a serpent emerges through mouth and eye socket. In script above, arched over reads : I will find you again, - and then below, an upwards arch like a smile that reads : Wherever we end up next. "Dough first, either way, and I need to find my...cheesecloth...I think..." He actually seems to be worried at this juncture, reaching for his phone to pull up 'how to bake sticky toffee pudding'. "Like my mind is blank now that I'm trying to think of what I need to do, even though I know what to do..." He chides himself with a chuckle.
Sinister	"That's figgy pudding. The christmas cake," Sinister replies, though it's with an amused little smile. Endorphines make the brain go funny sometimes. "You make sticky toffee with dates and a toffee sauce. Sometimes, you boil it, sometimes you simply prove it and drizzle with the caramel in the base of the ramekin before you cook it in a baine marie. Quicker with the baine marie, I think." Oh, my, he knows the recipe??? He knows the recipe. Or at least what goes into it. And then, the new tattoo is revealed, which looks initially rather unexpected and macabre, until the entire of it is appreciated. Two words: "Good lord."
Lucifer	"Ah. Right. I was getting a couple of things mixed up. I'm sorry, love. I have everything I need, I just need to remember how to make it." Lucifer offers, and then he smiles. It does not surprise him that Nathaniel knows the recipe for a sticky toffee - it seems to be a favoured dessert of his. Hence why Lucifer wants to make it to begin with. Then the tattoo is revealed, and he hears Nathaniel's response to it. "Now now, no need to bring him into it." A smirk, a jest and he chuckles. "Though, I suppose I can say you like it?"
Sinister	"You made a promise in your own skin," SInister replies, with a shake of the head. "Of course I like it. The work is very finely done. You must have... well of course you did. You know a very skilled artist, I'm sure. How far did you actually -go- to get that done? Japan? It has... certain visual similarities to artistic techniques there. Or I suppose there's japanese artists everywhere. Nevermind me," tailing off with a laugh, he rubs at his face. "You know, sometimes turns of phrase just pop out." Then helpfully, he slips off of the stool and gathers the ingredients for the pudding, including the ramekins necessary for setting them, sugar for the caramel, which has to be done right or it burns, flour, egg, cinnamon, sugar for the pudding, a finer granulation and sets it all out with a smile.
Lucifer	"Well. To be fair. We've made something akin to this promise to each other time and again. I've been thinking of ideas to bring it all together and then... had a hit of inspiration. And yes. I have a person. They do remarkable work. They also *know* me... so it's someone that I trust implicitly. They know of my healing abilities and all that jazz..." He says this much and smiles when Nathaniel joins him, pulls out all the things needed for the dessert he's wanting to prepare. "Besides. I think it looks pretty bad ass... and I do like being tattooed...obviously." He has a few, of course. "Thank you for the help. Let me get the dough started and then we'll eat. Then perhaps we'll make the pudding together. That's a cute couple-y thing to do, yes?"
Sinister	"So they say. I don't know, you and I are rather lost on the whole normal thing," Nathaniel chuckles at this, ending up going from chuckle to full on giggle. "Why can I picture us sneaking out to go observe couples and interrogating them over cute-y things to do? The horror. The horror!" He does though, take Lucifer by the hips, pointing at the things laid out with a "...that can wait..." to turn him about into arms for a quick kiss to the cook-to-be, then keeps on turning him about to face the food and frog-march him in the nicest of ways, to the seafood. "Before it gets cold. Cold seafood is rather unappetizing. Come."
Lucifer	Lucifer is turned! Then turned again! He laughs at what Nathaniel has proposed and then nods his head. "With popcorn and ice slushies, yes? I think you can picture us doing such a thing because it is something we would actually do..." He offers this and then is marched in some way over to where food has been served and needs to be eaten. "Ah. Yes. I do agree with you about seafood. Well, some seafoods. I could eat crab cold, but lobster and scallops are best enjoyed warm at the very least."
Sinister	Sinister pulls out the stool for the devil, bowing with a flourished hand over the plate. "The Kitchen is proud to present... your dinner." He says in a french accent, slipping onto the stool next to his lover instead of across as is customary, bringing his plate nearby to do something -else- that's couple-y and cute. He takes his fork, twizzles a delicate bit of lobster free of the saucing and a small scallop and holds it up with fond and half-lidded eyes, to be plucked by Lucifer's lips. "But yes. With popcorn and slushies and potentially dark glasses and baseball caps." A gesture has the wine glasses floated close, set down in easy reach. "I never thought about it, but we have been promising often, haven't we? I think part of me just considered it a statement of fact. No matter where or when, I will always find you."
Lucifer	Lucifer chuckles softly. "Cute. Also, I know that's from a movie. Which makes it cuter." Offering these words before he watches Nathaniel take up lobster and scallop, presenting him with the forked up bites. Leaning in, he plucks those bites off the fork and chews thoughtfully. Of course, he has to reciprocate right? Little de-shelled crab and lobster - presenting this to Nathaniel. "We have been promising often. To each other. I make mental promises to you all the time. For both the big and small things. It's just how I work... promises mean something to me, and promises I make are not broken. Ever." He says it sternly and without any caveats. They just aren't things that are broken by him. Which is why - even if he makes them consistently to Nathaniel - the man may also note that there are none too many Lucifer actually uses such words with.
Sinister	"Misquoted I'm sure. I think it's supposed to be the dining room, not the kitchen that proudly presents..." Smiling as the morcel is taken, the reciprocated forkfull pulled free with his teeth, he leans forth to boop snoot with Lucifer, settling back afterwards and paying more attention to his own plate. The sauce, the unique flavours that are strong and distinctive where shellfish is concerned, the subtle lack of it with the scallops that take on whatever you flavour them -with-. All of it is appreciated, even if it was not his lover that cooked it. He glances sidelong as Lucifer begins to speak though, continuing to chew on the mouthful he has as he weighs through the words and does -not- feed another fork to his lips for a while. Instead, after the cleaning of palate with a sip of wine, he sighs with a smile. "I would like to rescind a request made of you, if I might. You may make promises to me, if you wish, verbally - when it matters, it matters. Silent bonds are the equal of you, you know that you keep them. But sometimes, I think you would be happier if you could give them to me, audibly, also." He says as he looks up to dark blues. "I have learned since then. And though it might be a small step or two I've taken, I am more than I was. I do not fear betrayal from you. I carry your heart in mine." And having said this, with his eyes closing, he draws his finger down the middle of his chest and the T-shirt he wears goes transparent, revealing skin. A moment later, like a chameleon, the skin becomes transluscent. Blood becomes invisible, ribs also, a fade by a fade, until his heart is revealed, becoming partially see-through so that Lucifer can see the shape of it and in the sternum between the left and the right, the spot that harmonizes both sides of the heart, is a heart shape of malachite, lodged into cardiac tissue.
Lucifer	After the shared bites from each others plates, Lucifer also then focuses on his own food for a moment. Crab, lobster, scallops, all washed down with the paired wine. An ezquisite medley of flavors that all compliment each other. Course, as he eats, he notices when Nathaniel seems to be thinking and doesn't take another bite of food for a time. When the man speaks, Lucifer listens to everything said - as is his nature to do so. Once Nathaniel has spoken, and then makes a point to show that he literally carries Lucifer's within his, there's a smile offered. "Of course you can rescind a request made of me. You are right in thinking that I will feel better - sometimes - to be able to verbally make promises to you. It also makes me happy that you do not fear betrayal from me, and such is reciprocated. I do not fear betrayal from you." He offers this, and then nods. "You have said many times that you carry my heart with you, to see it there, is awe-inspiring. That means a lot to me, Nathaniel, as I am sure you are aware." He leans over then to chastely kiss the cheek of his lover. "I love you."
Sinister	Sinister smiles at the gentled kiss and the three little words. "I love you, too..." then he leans in to sotto voce admit "--it also makes me just a little bit disturbed, in that I put it there. I think just about anyone would agree, that's a weird thing to do." He leans back, winks and reaches to cup one of Lucifer's cheeks, strokes thumb over the high cheekbone and scratches gently on stubble when he lets the hand fall. "A delicious meal, my darling. Rich and full of flavour, decadent and divine." Kissing fingertips at the last of that, wiggling them in Luci's direction, he bows his head in conclusion. And then tucks in to finish off the meal before it really IS cold, mopping sauces with a small piece of bread and tossing napkin over the cutlery once he's dabbed his mouth.
Lucifer	"You? Disturbed? I never thought I would see the day." Lucifer quips with a chuckle and a wink, leaning into the hand that cups his cheek for a moment before it departs. Then he, too, turns attention back to his own meal and works on finishing it up. Everything is eaten and then he swipes his mouth with a napkin - he's not a lip dabber - and sets the napkin on the plate. "Certainly was a delectable meal. I shall have to recreate it some time for us." He offers this with a smile and then shifts to stand, collects plates, and moves them to the sink. Washing up, he also washes his hands and while towel drying them he turns to his lover. "Pudding?"
Sinister	"Yes! I know, I know." Sinister splays fingers over his heart and flutters them, rolling eyes in a mock swoon. Glasses of wine are topped up, to finish off the bottle and that's ferried to be recycled as the table is cleared. "One thing I rather love about crustaceans is that you can just boil them and they're good. But the nuances of sauces, will be a delight, I'm sure. And yes! Yes. Dessert! Erm..." eyeing the ingredients, he selects the dates to chop up finely as that is just about the safest thing for him to do, along with measurements. Actual preparation? That might be beyond him. "Do you have any favourite treats? You're fond of apples, I know."
Lucifer	"You know. I started on the apples as just a part of my schtick. Might as well use what I'm known for right? But do you know just how many different types of apples there are out there now? My favorite it honeycrisp. And pink ladies." Lucifer offers this as he begins to sive together the dry ingredients for the dough - followed by prepping the wet ingredients however that is done. "However, I will confess this to you because I love you... but I absolutely love a traditional tiramisu. I can't find a place that makes them well over here. And... well... I don't get out to Italy very often these days."
Sinister	"I'm a fan of common garden variety cox. They're the ones you find in granny gardens all over the place in England. They cook well, eat well without being cooked and are small and lumpy looking. But I agree on the honeycrisp, it has a very good flavour. Like Fiji apples, too. Also, I have to say, I've never been quite as turned on watching someone eat fruit as when you're eating an apple. There's something about it that just..." Nathaniel grins and shivers exaggeratedly, handing over the dates. "You're supposed to fold them into the batter at the last minute, so that they don't collapse the doohickies. The whisking, I guess. Air? Probably the air." And whilst that proves, Lucifer gets to see the amusement that is Sin looking at the caramel thermometer, the pan, the sugar and trying to figure out the knack of it. Butter first? Butter first. Then a whole lot of staring, measuring, staring and frantic whisking when it starts to get going. "Tiramisu? Really? Gracious me. We shall have to go to Sienna, watch the races maybe and enjoy gelato and tiramisu at the cafe in the grand square."
Lucifer	"If you get turned on by me eating apples, I should just give you an erotic viewing of me eating all sorts of fruits..." Lucifer offers as he takes the dates and slowly folds them in, making sure of less air loss and more date distribution. Then, it's poured into a greased pan and that is placed into an oven to bake. When Nathaniel offers the idea of going to Sienna, he smiles and nods. "That surely does sound like a lovely thing to put on our to-do list. Perhaps for the next time we need a little interim get-away.." He looks to the pan, to the man trying to figure out caramel and back again. "You doing good there?"
Sinister	There's just a look at Lucifer at the promise of exotic fruit erotica, beneath brows and with a grin as he looks back at the pan, sticking the end of his tongue between lips at the side as he whisks like a madman. And caramel, even 'scotched' caramel, as this would be, with butter as the first ingredient, is a fickle thing. "Yeeees..." as the tongue goes back in, then "...oh, no, no, ooooh you little bastard." As it gets burned crumbly bits. "I whisked you and everything! Gah." To the sink to add water to clean up and start again.
Lucifer	Lucifer just grins when he gets that look and then giggles like a mad man for a moment. Watching as the man works the caramel for a bit, he tilts his head as Nathaniel whisks it with a passion only to have it sort of fall apart on him. "When you're first beginning a caramel, you don't actually want to whisk it. We just want to let the sugar begin to melt. You can shimmy the pan, but whisking will cause that crumbling." A smile. "Try again." He encourages.
Sinister	What's this? Cackling like a crow? The underbrow look turns into an overbrow amusement at the laughter and he spocks one up in silent question, until other advise is given to him. "Oh? Oh. Ahhhh." Tapping the side of his head, he sighs "...I have to confess poorly remembered recollections here, I was only a wee thing when I watched nanny make them." But again, he 'scotches' the caramel, this time adding the sugar and letting it just melt, resisting the urge to frack it as he'd done previously. The thermometer is nevertheless left to guage the temperature. "Anything you particularly enjoy watching me do?" he asks, shimmying the pan as instructed, watching the granules dissolve and gain that darker hue.
Lucifer	"I like watching you work. Like on those geodes? There's something about watching you when there are new things to be discovered. You get this sort of...giddy look in your eyes, with a child like wonder." Lucifer offers as they watch the sugar melt into that darker hue. "Watch the thermometer, we want it to reach (insert degree here) and then take it off the heat and add a little cream. That way it'll cool but stay in a liquid state." Then he shifts, "Did we also want a cream anglaise?"
Sinister	"With a proper butterscotch, which is what this'll be if I add cream to it, I don't think we really need any. Maybe a dollop of ice-cream if we have any... and if we don't I know we do alcoholic floats down in Lux, so we could shout for a scoop." Sinister replies, watching the thermometer with the determination of a scientist. Precision work, he can do, now that he knows the methodology. Sort of. "Really?" he asks though, with a glance up and back to the thermometer, he lowers himself slowly down onto folded arms on the counter, hipshod and leaned to. "I never would have thought that would be exciting. I suppose I do get the focused intensity when that happens-- I always loved to understand things and it's driven me my entire life long, that need to understand. I admit, there are times I worry that the human mind can only contain so much information and one day, I shall forget my own name."
Lucifer	"Do you want ice cream on your pudding or do you want it... traditional?" He supposes he should call it that, cause ice cream changes it right? Never the less, he does also smile when it seems Nathaniel is intrigued by what Lucifer says is his favorite thing about him. "Well of course you wouldn't think it an exciting thing because it's just normal for you. I never really was one for science and such. Especially since I could just get things done, and I don't get sick or hurt so... it never appealed to me. Then I meet you..and all of a sudden science takes on a new light. You inspire me. Lets put it that way."
Sinister	Sinister flutters lashes as he looks up. It's coquettish, but also just surprise and genuine at that. He looks at the thermometer again, gets the whisk out and keeps the caramel moving. "The principle of this is actually quite logical. Once the liquid is at a certain temperature, you want to keep the motility up, so that the smallest surface area possible, is in contact with the heat source for the least amount of time possible, whilst continuing the overall translation process. This works wonderfully when it's a normal crystal; agitation creates and catalyzes the reaction. But sugar crystals are none of them pure, no matter the process you put them through, so the science goes squiffy. The impurities will alter the action of translation." He pauses "...and that's me talking science at you, to stimulate that attraction center." He grins fleetingly, sniffs. "As to the pudding, I could go either way. I'll take your opinion on the matter though. Ice-cream or creme Anglais? Both are satisfying if a different way, post modern or traditional. Or entirely out of let field, custard. With milk instead of cream, the travesty!" He waggles eyebrows. "I suppose I've done things through method and experimentation, upon myself and others, that mirror miraculous things. You know, when I started out, I never would have believed in you. Never would've believed in a god, either, let alone -the- god. That one with all his jealousies. I thought it so much poppycock, because where were they all now, when everyone needed them the most, they seemed to be gone. Dogma though, wasn't just a thing intrinsically clerical, it applied to medical and sociological also and I despised it, that people couldn't embrace what would make them greater. I suppose in hindsight, I was just impatient and it takes a good deal of time for everyone to board a train, when there's only one door, so to speak."
Lucifer	And so it goes. Lucifer decides to be as traditional as he can be with this first go at sticky toffee pudding. Perhaps next time they'll get a little more creative. Though once dessert is done, and more conversations are had while enjoying such a delicacy...the night will continue with couch cuddling and perhaps a little story reading. That book Nathaniel picked up is quite an interesting one after all. From there? Who knows. The night is young and the lovers are often ... well versed in making the most of the darkest hours.