Owner	Pose
Lucifer	After a very brief meeting the other night with one Doctor Stephen Strange, it was decided by both Sinister and Lucifer that a more proper...meeting of the minds...was in order. They both knew of him - who doesn't? - as both a renowned doctor and of his dealings with the Time Stone. Plus, those he tends to keep the company of, it's all a very close knit deal that needs a bit more...polish. Or at least, that's what Lucifer will keep telling himself. So, an invitation was sent out to the Doctor to come back to Lux - but not just Lux. No, Strange would be escorted to an elevator at the back that goes to but a single floor above. The Penthouse. Where Lucifer has made a home and Sinister has joined him within for some time now. The Devil does NOT wear Prada for this meeting, and in fact is keeping it fairly casual in socks, jeans, and a tee shirt that reads 'In My Defense, I Was Left Unsupervised'.
Sinister	By contrast, the man known as Essex to some and by his rather more infamous title to others, is currently gathering information on a holographic touch-screen at the couch. Leaned forward in a very studious manner, his elbows on his knees and his chin being stroked, he's staring at the device with intensity. There's no illusion or shapechange about him here, he is in his demanor and appearance, honest. Red eyes, ruby diamond, the works. Only he's in black jeans and a black shirt with the top couple of buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up. Socked is a theme though. "I think I've got just about everything, including all the medical data, from the original mess I uncovered. The one that started all this." He glances over at the devil, touching the hologram and making data stream rather like the matrix. It all reflects on his skin rather aptly.
Doctor Strange	If Stephen Strange had known this was going to be in the penthouse, he'd have come in through a balcony or window. Element of shock and awe, however minor. However, instead, he gets escorted to an elevator and led to the top. The nerve of showing him up! Why had he accepted the invitation? How could you not? Lucifer Morningstar (and his good fellow Sinister) want to meet the Sorcerer Supreme, and these are not people you casually refuse. Especially when you need to know more about them as well. The good doctor steps forward, dressed in a long-sleeved jacket and gloves, light beiges, his dark eyes darting through as he steps in. Books. Artifacts. Things that should be kept secure. He won't be taking them off Lucifer, since that's a Terrible Idea, but he has to find out if Lucifer is a trustworthy man. Given his name? Probably not. "I'm here." Doctor Strange announces himself, as if the elevator didn't. "Nice shirt. Isn't He always watching, though?"
Lucifer	Lucifer glances over towards Sinister after a moment and gives a nod of his head. "Well that's something. Progress to figure out how and why and then motions taken to prevent it from happening again." Commenting this much before he looks to the bar several feet away and - with the waving of a hand - fixes a whiskey on the rocks, a cognac neat, and a martini. The cognac goes to Sinister, the whiskey to himself and the martini hovers for it's expectant drinker when the elevator dings and Strange steps in. At the mention to his shirt, Lucifer looks down and then back up before giving a shrug. "Depends on the theology. I think he's had his fill of me and my antics... but then he could also be planning another round of send the brethren to beat me back to Hell. Who knows. Either way, I don't care." Then there's a grin. "Welcome, Stephen. Can I call you Stephen? Please, have a drink, take a moment. We're glad you accepted our invitation to come."
Sinister	Sinister's hand reaches for the cognac as it arrives, taking it from the air as he leans back without looking, fingers of his left hand moving over the screen that isn't even actually there -- minimize, maximize, dismiss, bring all those together, make a slide show. Or a very lengthy elevator pitch? Either way. He finally looks over toward Strange as the devil begins to talk, rising from the couch to stand tall and that he definitely is; he'd look eye to eye with Thor just about and is about as well built. Only not as inherantly blond. Or Asgardian. "Welcome to chez Lucifer," he murmurs in impeccable english tones. The remarkable thing about then, is that he inclines his head graciously, followed by looking over at the collection that was mentally remarked upon in the inner workings of a mystic's mind, if for no other reason than it's very hard not to look at something when you're observing it. Perhaps. "Doctor," looking back, he smiles.
Doctor Strange	"Fair point." Stephen remarks to Lucifer, not wanting to start a theology debate immediately, as he steps in to get his martini, taking a sip. "Sure, if I can call you Lucifer. Names have power, even if they're not the 'true' ones, after all." Strange's eyes dart back and forth, before locking on Sinister. "Seems you two are a package deal, huh? That's fine." Strange sets his drink down in mid-air, allowing it to float with the briefest output of magic, and steeples his hands. "So, let's get down to business. What brings you to summon the Sorcerer Supreme into your innermost domicile, hm? I had to take an elevator. And it didn't have that hummable music, either."
Lucifer	"It's the truest name I've held since rebelling against my father, and I surely don't mind being called it." Lucifer offers, giving a tilt of his head and then a slow nod. Though a brow raises at that last comment. "I mean we do have our own work that's done separately but if we both have a keen interest in something then, yes. It makes it better than having to relay information later." Just wait until Strange figures out they're more than just business partners! "Oh come now. Must we throw titles around? I mean, I would be lying if I said you didn't pique an interest or two. Lots of mystic types running around between here, Gotham and Sunnydale. Though, I believe it's Sinister who has more an inquiry for you than myself. I'm just playing host. For the time being."
Sinister	"We nixed the muzak. There was this one time it got stuck on a loop..." Sinister clucks his tongue, slipping his hands into the small of his back as more small talk is levvied, a chuckle following. "Plus, it's very hard to find people in the multiverse that you can honestly stomach to be around, on a daily basis, let alone work with. Or at least it is for me, I get so tired of dealing with the idiocracy..." with gesture to the seats, he turns the sweep of arm to a twirl and has a holo pad manifesting in front of every single spot one might want to sit at. This DOES make the air for the time being, a bit crowded. "There's an irony here, Strange. I've heard more about your doings from the journals of medicine, than I have for the inner mysteries of being Sorceror Supreme. I must admit to being rather pleased that there was real talent out there."
Doctor Strange	"Of course we must. You're not calling me Doctor, I must get my kicks somehow." Strange replies about titles with a wry expression. "Oh? That's interesting. Then again, not much the devil needs for a sorcerer, *usually* the other way around, right?" Strange floats his martini up to his hand and takes another sip before letting it linger, turning to Sinister. "Well, I was a good surgeon, but I'm a better sorcerer. They wouldn't be inner mysteries if just anyone knew about them." Strange is fine standing. He's used to it - you don't get to sit during long surgeries, after all. "So, what's up? Trying to mix technology and magic and asking if it's a good idea? I'd say 'probably not' but then again, most magic questions are a 'probably not'." He gestures to the datapads as he says 'mix technology'.
Lucifer	Lucifer gives a soft chuckle and shakes his head some. "There are many things I could be called. Some of them are true. Most of them are just what people have fed into the mainstream over the millenias." Saying this as he sips at his whiskey once more and then moves over towards where Sinister is, either to stand or sit beside. Likely stand, as it irks him to sit when others are standing. "Oh we've been mixing technology and magic for a time. Though a lot of what Sinister does is truly only technology, just a bit more advanced than what others have caught up to. As for myself, I dabble in the mystic arts if I must... but a lot of my doings are a bit more..." He waves a hand in dismissal almost. "Ceslestially imbibed." Though he does give a side eye to Sinister, perhaps waiting for the man to open his own line of inquiry.
Sinister	"Oh, I have little doubt," Sinister replies to Strange's statements. "They tend not to mix well at the best of times and you and that irritatingly smug Loki caused one of my pieces to literally vaporize when you overloaded the circuitry the other night." He clicks his fingers and all but the holoimage nearest to Strange himself, vanishes. "But Lucifer is exaggerating a bit, or at least-- interpretive. I do not mix technology and mystical arts. I have a couple of devices that can sense mystical energies, follow ley flows and their ilk, but my interest in the mystical began solely in the scientific. It turns out that magic is a very diverse mutagen, depending on the flavour of it and I was... researching, when I came across something that I believe you -ought- to know about..." He glances at the tablet and it comes to life, showing the information about the meteor Apophis and along with it, various cults and secret societies that were apparently associated with it, in times gone by. Ill-omen. Sign of the apocalypse, of great consuming disaster. "All myth and fancy that, until I dug this..." an image appears of what looks like a bezore, or toad-stone. "...out of the stomach of a chachectic woman from Tunisia." An image of a woman appears, extremely overweight, then the image at her time of death, looking a lot like she was the victim of Famine with a Horseman's edge. "That's what it did to her. Apparently, it got marketed as a diet pill."
Doctor Strange	"I did say 'probably'." Strange replies to Lucifer, nodding at the 'celestially embibed', before looking at the data. This stone..."Apophis...hm. That's not good. Yeah, eating stones isn't good for your health, but they shouldn't do that. Apocalypse cults..." Strange considers digging into this on his own...but Sinister has the cards here. He'll play ball. "Let's see. Apocalypse cults. If you two are involved - I'll have to guess this isn't just an idle search. Lemme think about it... Jewish eschatology wouldn't fit something like this - Tunisia, not Israel. Zoroastrianism doesn't fit the bill. The gnostics? Maybe? No...this could be a mark of pestilenc- or famine. Famine, in reverse. Am I close to your mark?" "The question is whether the apocalypse is actually coming *on-time* or *off-schedule*. Is someone trying to start it, or did He decide that enough is enough?" Strange hides his emotions. But if this is the start of an apocalypse cult, and not one that's just crazy, the first signs are showing...and you don't delay treatment.
Lucifer	Lucifer scoffs. "Which time? When he flooded the Earth? Or when he decided we needed to rain fire and brimstone on a couple of cities? Also, and mind you, if the texts are true, then this would be off schedule, because the rapture hasn't started yet and if memory serves me, the rapture is first, then the apocalypse." There's a pause, and a sneer. "He wouldn't want his dearly beloved to suffer, you see..." But that's likely reaching. Though the Four are likely ones that Lucifer wouldn't talk to at all. Ever. Well. That's not entirely true. He's had to talk to Death a few times. "Also, I don't have a heavenly calander, so I don't really know what his schedule is like. Could also be death, death, death, lunch, death, death, death, afternoon tea, death, quick shower..." He has to laugh at himself. "Course this is all from things we've found and if...he..." He glances upwards, "had anything to do with it, he likely would have tried to stop me from meddling..."
Sinister	Sinister gestures to Lucifer's reply. "Unlikely to be them, we do have a radio station in a mind that's tuned very firmly to that kind of stirring. But the horsemen do have their own agendas, as is painted all over the world, every single day." Shrugging slightly, he gazes at the pad and more information pops up -- an actual recorded trip, however brief that was, to the ACTUAL apophis meteorite and a sampling of the meteoric rock from the thing. Courtesy of the devil being able to teleport to strange places and not having the slightest fear of deep space or strange things. It also follows with a passage through the orbits and flight path of that particular meteor, which usually dips into the oort cloud and disappears off the radar, so to speak. "Odd though, I have a few means of remote viewing physical events and it was noted, that this particular meteor dips... out of existence in part of its journey around the milky way. Literally, goes either into subspace or a different place entirely. The stone from that particular surgery was apparently a fragment of that meteor, thus our aquiring of a sample. It has unknown minerals in it, in that the mass spectrometer I have and believe me, mine is very, very highly calibrated with some additional data... couldn't match it." He waves his hand this time. "More of these devices got found by some of my agents, all across southern asia and north africa. Quite a number were considered to be royal treasures in Pakistan. They though, aren't made of that meteorite, but rather seem to be alchemically, chemically and who knows what else... treated. They're not nearly as potent. But the damn things store the energy, the life force, that they steal. We discovered that the raw meteorite is rather... volatile if it's fully charged. Lucifer swallowed a chunk."
Doctor Strange	Strange nods, relieved it's not *the* Apocalypse. "Good, good. But this...Apophis...we'll have to assume it's not from 'our' space. Or if it is, it's not from any normal section of space. But here's the thing I don't understand." "Why did you do that?" Strange turns to Lucifer, befuddled. Why would you eat the meteorite?! "I mean, if anyone can handle it, obviously you can, but...hm. Alright." Strange gets serious. He downs the rest of his martini and floats the glass to the nearest table. "I'm interested in 'aiding you', if you'll take it. I don't have your data - and obviously you're not just going to hand me your sample or records, as I wouldn't to you. I'm not a thief. So, what do you need from me, exactly?" He knows they need something - but he needs to clarify what.
Lucifer	Lucifer shrugs at the question. "Wanted to see just how volatile it was. Like you said, if anyone could handle it I could. But it even did a number on me and left me feeling quite...out of sorts...for a few days. Even after it was removed." The Devil recalls, giving a shiver as he does so. "I will say it's also not the worst experiment we've ever done, but it may have been the most interesting." He chuckles at himself then. "I suppose sample and information sharing is Sinister's hands. All I do is provide a diligent space for experiments that begins with, it seemed like a good idea at the time and what's the worse than can happen."
Sinister	There is a groan from Sinister. "He's not wrong there, either. But it makes life /exciting/." And Interesting, as in the ancient chinese meaning of Interesting Times. That said, Sin looks at a few of the artifacts on the wall and then, at length, sighs. "I'm not too concerned about the potential for the knock-off versions. They've got limited capacity to become mystical life-force batteries -- but someone at some point, thought it was a fantastic idea, to give a /real/ apophis stone, one made out of that meteorite, to a woman in Tunisia. As a diet pill. Well, that wasn't false advertizing, it genuinely worked." He snorts, looks back at Strange, with eyes oh-so-slightly narrowed. "So. A bit more disclosure. The original one I took out of the woman, is now in very safe hands. It's in the possession of the Egyptian god, Sutekh, or Set, I suppose. He came calling. It was a thing. There was a mad rush to get butter and flour and peace-bonding offerings of hospitality from ... well, one of the Olympians, in fact." He sniffs, shakes his head a bit. "Anyway, I'm digressing. He seemed to know something significant enough, to be a protector of a /true/ apophis stone. Something theological regarding the Book of the Dead and his job in the Boat of Ra." -- the fending off nightly of Apophis or Apep as they call it in Egyptian lore. "But I might be capable of borrowing it back, temporarily. So ah..." he pauses, thinks about it, then sighs with irritation. "I'm many things, wonderous and clever, but one thing I am not, despite my best efforts, is a psychometrist. I have never managed more than a hint or a glitch in contact with something. You are the keeper of the Time stone. If anyone -can- see the chain of events and find /a/ lead to start asking questions of the RIGHT people, it would be you, Strange. That and you also probably know more mystics, cults and occultists that might have been bad people. Or might -know- more. Lucifer tends to end up with either family, denizens or witch-craft, a lot of the time. And I have... serendipity."
Doctor Strange	"The worst that can happen is a lot of things. Christ-, er sorry." Strange waves it off, before turning back to Sinister. "I'm familiar with Sutekh and Apep." Strange patiently listens to Sinister's explanation. He rubs his chin. "If you can borrow it, I can do a study with everything I have in my sanctum. I'll share the data as long as I trust we can work together - and right now, I do. This is a big deal, if the embodiment of chaos may be our foe, so I have no time to be coy." "Does that sound agreeable? If so, I'll get to work as soon as we're ready."
Lucifer	Lucifer raises a brow. "You can say it. Christ. Chrisitan. God. Jesus. Holy Ghost. Crucifix. Christ on a Cracker! Jesus H. Christ!" Then he actually gives a light laugh and shake of his head. "It's not going to hurt me in any capacity, nor will it suddenly conjur up any celestial being right in front of you..." Though, that would make for a pretty epic joke one of these days. He would offer the Lucifer-charged apophis stone but that might not go down well in many regards. "We do have some shavings... if that would help get you started perhaps?" Saying this while glancing over to Strange. "Any help is appreciated. We're not here to start anything, if nothing else, we're trying to make sure nothing starts from all this."
Sinister	"Or rather, that nothing gets worse from all this. I think the start has already happened," Sinister nods, considering a moment. "Pillbox." Is said randomly and he holds up a finger toward both other men and marches off toward... well, one of the other rooms. He comes back with a tiny box. "If you'd do the honours of opening the safe, my dear, that would be fantastic. I will... well, excuse me a moment." He looks at them both, smiles, then with a couple of blinks his eyes go multifaceted and rather beautifully peacock-hued. There's a strange double-pupil affair that looks almost like a hologram itself. "Now then..." And provided Lucifer does help with the safe, a bottle located in sand, inside another bottle also with a layer of sand around it, is levitated, opened with extreme care and a tiny grain of something grey is floated out and into ... well, a ceramic pill bottle. That, itself, is floated over to Strange. "I would love to know what your stripe of mysticism does to it, but my guess is you'll find it can hold a rather large store of mystical energy, relative to its size."
Doctor Strange	Strange laughs as well, not really embarrassed, as he turns towards the shavings being floated over. "Gotcha." He carefully takes control of the telekinesis, and moves the bottle into a safe storage. "I'll let you know. I could look here, but it'd light up your penthouse like a beacon and, frankly, I'd have to stuff my tools in here." Strange considers. "Anything else? Return address should be easy to find, I'm in it, but anything I need to know?"
Lucifer	Lucifer does help with the safe, and allows Sinister to retrieve whatever it is he's retrieving. Once done, and all is back in place, he'll lock up the safe again. Easy peasy. "I'd like to not have the Penthouse lit up like a beacon right now. Might draw the wrong attention..." He offers this and then goes back to his whiskey and Sinister.
Sinister	"Be very, very careful with it. Reading that will just... well, I don't know it might lead you to where the meteor goes, when it takes its trips. I don't know." Sinister makes a circle of his fingers, about the size of a quarter. "A stone that size, was enough to incapacitate the devil, when he unleashed his 'what's the worst that can happen?' experimental help. A grain of sand size should be safe. This IS you we're talking about."
Doctor Strange	"Yes, it is." Strange preens at the 'you' we're talking about, accepting the ego boost. "Trust me. I'm nothing if not cautious. You don't deal with demons and banish spirits by rushing in without a plan." Strange turns, nods. "I'll be going, then. You know how to get a hold of me, and I know how to get a hold of you. Feel free to ring." And then, he walks back to the elevator once they part, moving to get straight back to the Sanctum via the fastest transit once he's outside the club - sorcery.