16576/Intermission : Here's the Thing...

Intermission : Here's the Thing...
Date of Scene:	18 October 2024
Location:	Club Lux, Melville
Synopsis:	Constantine stops by Lux to speak with Nathaniel and Lucifer.
Cast of Characters:	Lucifer, Constantine, Sinister

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Lucifer has posed:
With his club being rented out in the near future, Lucifer has plans to try and get some things into motion. One of those includes trying to get a certain dimension traveler on board - which may be harder than it seems. It could be easier than it seems also. Or...somewhere in the middle. Either way. Lucifer is settled in the VIP section of the club again. This time, at least, he seems a little less stressed. A bit better dressed. And he's sipping on his whiskey instead of downing it like water.

Constantine has posed:
A cleaned up Constantine is laid back in one of the plush sofas, a drink in hand, a Silk Cut in the other. Beside him is his armor, his cape, his trenchcoat. It's been... de-grimed? Sadly, dry cleaning science has its limits. Some areas will forever be darker or paler than the others, forming some sort of accidental urban camo pattern of sort.

Lucifer has posed:
"At least you clean up nicely..." Lucifer offers, sliding a glance Constantine's way. "Spare me a smoke?" Asking this much and just waiting to be obliged while he crosses one leg over the other. "Alright, look. I don't know what you truly thought this job was going to be, but it's nothing like you think it is. I have a problem. A big problem. Cause I got an angel who managed to bust out of his prison, become undead, and is now very likely roaming the earth by possessing people - because of said undead state." He manages to say all of that before taking another swallow of whiskey.

"What I need help with... is finding him. Either by luring him out of his hidey hole, or actually finding where he is and going to him. Just... I can't sense him since he's undead. Nathaniel can't track him either. Which is why I thought it was pretty coincidental that you stepped back into my club. Cause I think you might be just the one to help us." He offers this in full and then watches and waits for the man's reply.

Constantine has posed:
While John could pop a lit cig out of thin air, he goes for his pocket to find the pack and pull one, each movement paced as he is giving Lucifer his full attention. As for the light, he sticks his thumb up and with a very ligher-ish *click* a tiny hellfire flame appears.

"That's huh... Jesus," John says, growing serious. Or grumpy, dealer's choice. "How... never mind. Before I start looking for your cousin, is this likely to spread? 'cause we can run after one zombie and another gets bit while we're not looking." A dry cough shakes his shoulders slightly. He empties his glass. "I'll track the... I don't think there's a name for this... I'll do it."

Sinister has posed:
Sinister is on the hunt for his partner, it seems like. Moving through the Thursday crowd like he's parting the red sea, he arrives right about the tail end of Constantine's response. Inclining his head to the laughing wizard, he turns his attention on the devil, not quite solicitous, but close to it. He's checking the archangel for signs of being slightly frayed.

"I do hope not. That would be something far, far worse. I take it you're explaining the Azazel situation?"

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer seems in a bit better of spirits. He's also dressed better than before. Not a full three piece, but a nice shirt and dress pants are a start. Plus his hair is actually kept tonight. He takes the cigarette from John, and to not seem rude, even leans in to light the smoke from John's finger-lighter. Drawing in a breath of the cigarette and then blowing the smoke to the ceiling, Lucifer grins. "This isn't really a...zombie situation...more like possession...so I don't think we have that to worry about..."

When Nathaniel comes into view, Lucifer actually site up a bit more. He offers a smile to his solicitous lover and then nods. "I am. I hadn't dropped a name yet. Just giving the cliff notes version I suppose..." This is answered before he glances back to John. "Have you heard the tales of Azazel?"

Constantine has posed:
John refills his glass from a familiar flask. "Good evening, Nathaniel." He scratches the line of his jaw while getting pensive. "I know the name, I know tales of Azazel, from the Torah and the Bible and other scrolls. The 'scapegoat'. As things work the further you go from the mundane, all stories or prophecies are true... even if it ain't makin' bloody sense. I'll need specifics." The magician crushes his cigarette butt in the classy but very small ashtray.

Sinister has posed:
The appearance being a little more dapper makes Sin smile, oh-so-slightly. It's pleasing, because when he's rough around the edges visually, it usually means he's in frenzied full on frazzled flappage on the inside -- sometimes even proper full on manic panic.

He settles himself after the polite gesture to a seat, sliding in beside Lucifer. There is a chaste kiss to the cheek and corner of mouth in greeting and then business.

"Indeed. The scapegoat, buried beneath the mountain where no light will ever fall. I wasn't there, you understand... though I feel as if I possibly should have been... but there was mileage around that adventure." Side-eyeing Luci there. "I think Luci has more nitty gritties there."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer leans into the kiss and offers a smile to Nathaniel before reaching into a trouser pocket to pull out his own silver case - etched on one side with a serpent and the other with a crow - placing it in front of his lover. "I don't think that's true. I don't think you should have been there. Unless being there would have allowed you anything at all to be able to track him down now..." He offers gently, but still loud enough for those in their vicinity to hear.

"I'm fairly sure Azazel tricked me. We just don't know all the ins and outs of how. We know he broke free from his prison, but the wards were keeping him in the cave. Those wards were...I thought just weakened...but they were likely gone. Replaced." He draws from his cigarette. "Short of the long is. He escaped and we need to find him..."

Constantine has posed:
John provides, fans both of his hands around his glass, a gesture of educated speculation. "The wards that apply to the possessed don't apply to the possessor. Put an angel and something powerful enough to tempt an angel into a compact and voila: the wards are no longer enough. Have you got anything of Azazel, something he valued? Or some hair, nail trimming, a feather?"

He offers Nathaniel a cigarette before ligthing one for himself. "Sympathetic magic."

Sinister has posed:
"We have his skull, John. Asrael was kind enough to leave it with us. She has the rest of his physical remains though," Sinister replies, smiling at the silver case. He gets his own smoke out and lit by leaning in to the Devil's own and sucking on the cherry.

Thus, the offered smoke from Constantine is politely refused with a wave of the hand.

"I have been wrapping my head around certain elements of this magic thing, John. I am not... quite a complete plebian any more."

Lucifer has posed:
"Did she? I thought she took the entire skeleton with her... well that was rather kind of her to leave behind. Maybe after we find him I can lunge it at his head to trap him within it..." Lucifer says this and he's only half joking. Perhaps there is a way to trap Azazel back into himself. Turning him from undead back to angel is going to be...tricky. Then again... terms. Conditions. There are leniencies that could be afforded.

If Azazel hadn't been an asshat from the beginning anyway.

"I mean... you still can't put together a spell to break a ward, but I bet if you said Abracadabra a cat would appear on the table..." Cat. Snake. The raven Lucifer's befriended that flies alllll the way up to the Penthouse balcony. Those can 'magically' appear.

Constantine has posed:
John follows the quasi-brainstorming very closely. The use of 'abracadabra' makes him flinch but then he grins. "I've no doubt of your capacities, Nathaniel. Force of habit... if don't try and explain, folks get all eeee and weak in the knees." He moves the brand of his Silk Cuts back and forth between the two partners, trying to decide which thread to pull first.

"Some beings ARE magic. Think of Morpheus. Others are made of fate, like you, Lucifer. Undead are a bit of both, which makes 'em quite... heinous and tricky. Gotta separate 'em first then we can trap either. And if Azazel can be reminded his true nature then... self-actualization, you call it? That'd end any sort of possession. If not... lots of magic and spit and elbow grease until something gives."

Sinister has posed:
"Really? Abracadabra?" Sinister laughs at the observation, probably doubting the probabilities. "Well, other than having a psychic bond to accentuate and elevate a ritualism, I have my doubts." He smiles crookedly though, indulging on the cigarette a moment as due attention is given to the thoughts being put out here.

"I wonder at what you're observing here, John. Mostly, because I've had a good deal of interaction of late, with the..." he glances at Lucifer here "...inlaws. They're all unique and have strong personalities. Self-actualization seems to be a thing each of them possesses in their own respect -- but compelling them with it, I wonder at. I think there's ways of doing it to all of them, but they would none of them be -happy- about any of it. So your end-stopped line of conclusion there, makes me exceptionally wary." He pauses, shaking his head a little.

"I imagine that will end up with ruined shirts and a considerable fight on our hands."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer leans back in his seat some before giving a shrug of his shoulders. "So, at this time. We let John see the skull...and then he'll try to find my unalive general." Summing things up neatly in such a way. "I also need to find a way to contact Logan and let him know the contract is ready for whenever he is. Once he gives me a date, we'll know when the real hunting can begin." He really has no idea what else to say in the moment. Though he does give a charming smile towards Nathaniel. "I know. You love the in-laws sooooo much."

Constantine has posed:
A line of smoke leaves John's lips as he breathes it out. "That should work. I mean, the skull. Who's Logan? The dude renting the Lux?" John smacks his lips and shakes his head. "I don't think I should track this Logan, he'd hate my guts and there's a line, y'know?" He brings his hand to cover his mouth as he takes another long drag, hiding his expression for that in-laws part. His eyes, though, are staring a thousand miles away.

Sinister has posed:
"You know my position when it comes to them all behaving themselves. I don't much want to put myself into the position where I have to defend myself, but yes. We know where I stand there." The response to the charming smile is probably not what Constantine would've expected, but Sin is still smiling his crooked smile to the devil. "There's exceptions, but all that they do is prove the rule."

He however, nods. "I think that's pretty much the established plan for the time being. We will have to allow for preparation of whatever you seek to do with the skull... but that should be workable around the Logan situation."

A pause, he considers Constantine a moment, because there -are- a few famous mutants. That's one of them.

"The Wolverine. He doesn't like me either, but that's a walk in the park comparative to this whole situation. Let us know if you need anything that we can likely get more easily than you can."