16311/INTERLUDE: The broken clock is wrong twice...

INTERLUDE: The broken clock is wrong twice...
Date of Scene:	28 May 2024
Location:	Lucifer's Penthouse, Melville
Synopsis:	There was a nightmare version of the devil, in a previous interlude. It had some interesting effects in this one, involving sleep working, juxtaposed proximal dimensions, terrible machinery and a cuddled pillow. It was a thing.
Cast of Characters:	Sinister, Lucifer, Phantasm (Drago)

---

Sinister has posed:
Songs have been written about many things in creation. The sensations of being kissed for the first time. The joy of holding your child. The bittersweet rememberance of the lover you lost. The hotness of girls in beach attire and short shorts in California.

Getting high.
Getting revenge.
Walking off into the 'sunset' as teens, without ever knowing the way....

And time. Tick-tick-tick-tick.

It waits for no man, woman or child. And even if you don't feel its bitter sting, it doesn't care whether you'd rather have more of it, or if it's running out. Or if...

It stops.

This is not the complete case. The world is still churning. Airplanes fly overhead, phones ring, business is done, morning breaks, coffee gurgles in the pot having been set on a timer by a thoughtful Doctor before dream-journeying.

But in the very middle of the lowest point of the penthouse, in front of the fire... it's frozen. Flames do not dance, they remain in silent stasis. And there's -something- there. The echo of a portal perhaps?

Sinister is nowhere to be seen, though. Waking up was an absent thing. The coffee's brewed, but the brewer's gone. A distant melody in mind, is hummed as if from a very far off place.

Oddly enough, it's Sting 'Seven Days' that's being hummed in thought.

Lucifer has posed:
After a rough night's sleep - if one could even call it that - Lucifer is finally up and at 'em. He looks to see that Nathaniel is not in bed with him and there's a shake of his head as he shifts to get up, tosses on sleep pants, and puts on his Devil Slippers. Then there's trudging through to the kitchen where he finds the coffee brewed but no sign of Nathaniel still.

A brief glance is given to the living room - to the couches - where he figures he might find Nathaniel lounging with coffee and the paper. Because he's British enough still to likely do that. Yet still nothing. Does he notice the non-flickering flames of the fireplace? Not at first glance, turning back to begin fixing himself a cup of coffee.

"Maybe he went out to get breakfast. That's sometimes a thing when one of us has had a rough night..." Speaking this aloud to himself before his ears sort of twitch. Something in the mind. Something he can hear - but more like a faint sound than anything else. Humming. He shakes his head. "Or maybe he's working in the lab..." To which - on that thought - Lucifer turns towards the lab to enter it, looking for Nathaniel.

Sinister has posed:
Clean and neat, the lab has a few things humming in the background, but the place is devoid of Sinisterly life. The stasis pod that contains the 'human' Lucifer glows blue-ish in the wall, its occupant fast asleep in his nutritive bath.

Looking at your own clone like that -does- take a bit of getting used to.

There's also a newly arrived casket in there, also 'in stasis' but there's no monitoring doodads on that one, just a freeze mode. It looks like a young man, but by the colour of him, rather grey. What can be seen that is. Because having a corpse in your Penthouse is totally a thing.

The music continues in mind though '...in fact he's over six feet ten, my limbs still fear another man. He'll murder me, in time for his tea... it doesn't bother me at all, my rival is neanderthal. It makes me think, perhaps I need a drink...'

The coffee tastes particularly fresh, a blend unheard of before, perhaps. Moritanian, by the carefully wrapped package of it on the kitchen table, with essences of mountainous Asgardian bean.

Lucifer has posed:
The lab checked, Lucifer raises a brow at the casket until he remembers he had discussed the need of a corpse, so that must be for when he fulfills his part of the contract with Barton. In due time.

After a moment he turns and exits the lab as there's no sign of Sinister there. Then the music in his mind continues and he blinks once before locking the lab behind him and moving back towards the living room. "Must be getting food then. Such is a normal thing." He speaks to himself. Aloud. Because why should he not?

As the living room is entered, he shifts to sit upon his throne and it is then that he sees the fire. It's not flickering. And something in front of the still flames - like something was there but then was going to not be there - and yet is still there somewhat. He sighs. "Hell almighty, I do not need more games..." This muttered as he stands and walks back to the kitchen to grab his phone. He texts Nick Drago. <<Needed at Penthouse. Something's stuck and Sin's not around. Help? -LM>>

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
It is 10 am and Nick is up.

It's a miracle!

Oooor it could be that he crashed at Wade's condo and his loft bed for such situation is still situated in the main living area of the condo and Wade was already up and about. Like he had a business to run or something.

the Buzz of the phone causes for him to reach over. Dazed eyes look to the text before he reaches over to pull on a shirt.

Nick makes good time. A little bit of powers abuse can do that as he just appears in the Penthouse, looking like he just rolled out of bed. The lack of shoes seems to support this.

"What do you mean by st-" He pauses, looking over to the fire. "...Oh."

Sinister has posed:
~Though things seem bright and gay
They only seem that way
Because I'm painting the clouds with sunshine...~

What was thought to perhaps have been from telepathy, is in fact... not. It's not mental humming, it's coming from the stasis area, but it does -seem- like it comes straight into the head, like it's been written into existence there, except that the voice is not the original singer, but definitely... Essex-ish.

TICK -- the flame moves just a fraction, a moment of kinetic motion, then is frozen once again, like time there, in that nexus, is just moving veeeeeeeery slow.

But, having such things just laying around is usually not a good thing to endure. It usually means things come calling, or you have to hide it from authorities. Or Authorities... or encase it in mountains, that kind of malarky.

Lucifer has posed:
"I'm assuming this has something to do with..." And before Lucifer can really say much more, the sound of an Essex-ish voice fills the air. The air. Not his mind. And the fire moves a fraction. "I just don't know what to do. If it's moving but slowly, I don't know if anything can be done. But it's Nathaniel so surely he has some sort of fail safe... unless he didn't make it. But he -sounds-...happy...ish?"

Confusing things are confusing. And Lucifer sets his coffee down so he can stand and moves towards the non-flickering fire.

It's time for another... What's The Worst That Can Happen?

Today's challenge is Lucifer S. Morningstar moving in on an anomaly currently happening in his own Penthouse. The only choice he really has? To likely reach out and touch it to see ... WTWTCH!

Unless. You know. Nick stops him or something.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The thing about someone stopping you is they have to be observing what you are doing to know to do so. Unfortunately frozen fire is just weird enough for Nick to fixate upon that. And the singing. "Nathaniel?" Nick says out loud.

As if Lucifer hasn't done that already.

It isn't certain when Nick caught glimpse of Lucifer's wandering fingers. But one can likely state it to be 'too late' for as he realizes what's going on, reaches over for the hand and starts to say "LUCI-"

It's too late.

Sinister has posed:
Now, what IS the worst that could happen?

There is a moment, surreal though this might be, where a half dozen scenarios flash into being all at once, one after another:

TICK: Suddenly they're surrounded by a swarm of alligator bees, whose venom apparently is extremely toxic. That last all of a microsecond, but probably felt like a lot longer.

TICK: Post-apocalyptic NYC all around them, looking like mad max and a good deal of the insanity of costume design visible on that. The air is visibly yellowish, lungs don't like it. Where did all that sand come from?

TICK: They're both rocks, on the edge of Manhattan island, which doesn't have a city on it, just trees and birds and zero humans. It's kind of calming being a rock, briefly at any rate.

TICK: Nothing much looks different in the penthouse, except it's all cartoon. Could have some fun with...

TOCK: ....the Lab. The Arc. The great bubbledome of genetic repository in a gargantuan geothermal burp, hidden somewhere in the world where volcanic activity is still a definite thing. It might be Iceland, you never know. Golden dust litters the air, hanging like motes of glitter in the atmospherics, there's the brilliant golden light from the very center of the machine that spins endlessly in the core and a dancing Sinister, waltzing around it, humming to himself. Essex has the improbability drive hooked up to a lot of wires, measuring devices and calipers, to what purpose? It seems maddened. But he, dancing fool that he is, is wearing PJ bottoms and little else but slippers.

And the thing is, the really significant thing is in this moment, like the thing really pressing on the forefront of awareness, is the fact he appears to be asleep. Oh. Gods.

Lucifer has posed:
Frozen in time is a weird thing. Especially when one is not actually frozen but seeing things sort of flash one scene right after the other. It's one thing if it's your own dream and entirely different when it is someone elses.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick... Venomous alligator bees, Post-Apoc NYC or maybe Sandstorm NYC. Either way the air tastes like absolute shit. Good thing Lucifer doesn't need to brea-- Rocks. Manhattan Island. Just rocks. Perchable rocks. That look out over a peaceful ocean an--and it's gone...

Tock. Lab. Arc. Nathaniel's bubbledome somewhere in the volcanic acticity of Iceland. Is this where the dinosaurs also roam? Lucifer sometimes forgets. He pauses. Waits. For longer than a moment until he's convinced that THIS scene isn't going away. Walking towards the middle - that bright golden light.

And a dancing, laughing, singing fool of an Essex...that is also half naked, in raven slippers....

...and asleep.

Well. Fuck.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick hadn't meant to hop in, but when one manages to mess up deterring another from basically pushing a red button, that's what he ends up doing. And that's how he ended up in a flip book .

With the general flash of visuals, several things come across his mind.

What the hell are alligator bees and how does he know to call them that? Mad Max is not the same without Tina. He might be called a rock star but THAT reality was ridiculous. When did the cat learn how to sing? And-

Oh this one is staying now. Are they in the Savage Land again?

And now it's time for Nick to make impulse decisions as his grip remains upon Lucifer as he starts to Phantasm once more, extending his ability over to Lucifer for the eventual hop into dream that is most likely Sinister's.

Sinister has posed:
Well, fuck indeed.

Clearly, this is not the scenario one was anticipating when one asked WTWTCH, but now, it is as it is. One must have to also hope, that a sleep-walking (or should that be sleep-working?) Sinister, knows what he's doing, or all those wires attached to the infinite improbability are liable to be exceptionally confusing, on waking.

And then the Dream....

This looks like Brighton. Or perhaps Devon? Torquay? The climate, despite it being rather obviously England, is one of relative warmth. There's palm trees that litter several promenades. There are also inflatable baloons of the weather-measuring variety anchored to the higher ground, a hallmark of the second world war.

But things don't add up there, not that they have to. There's street lamps for one, which are somewhat more modern looking than the wartime variety. The cars are both old fashioned and modern at the same time. It seems to be a mixture of timelines, as there's even a solitary hackney cab, a rather knackered looking bay gelding munching oats from a bag, by the chip shop.

Music plays through the air, coming it seems from a grand hotel on the upper cliffside, where an outdoor evening dance is happening, complete with cucumber sandwiches and chicken pakora.

All of this brought to you by the sweeping travel of Phantasm as the dream is entered and navigated to closer proximity.

"So you mean to tell me that everyone I've ever met, including people at the green grocers, are all here?" Nathaniel's asking this of a parish vicar who looks as if he got shot in the chest at close range with a Luger or some other high powered but close-range semi-automatic.

"Yes indeed. It's quite the symposium. There's difficult questions to answer after all and it's your birthday today."
"No it isn't... is it? I don't remember a reminder card..."
"Oh, in a manner it is. Come. You simply -have- to revisit Ai-quok. You remember him, you eviscerated his family in the killing fields..."

Lucifer has posed:
"Ugh. He's playing dance through the time lines again...." Lucifer says this as he takes a few steps forward, likely figuring that a phantasm'd Nick will simply Raven on his shoulder. Though the interesting part of this, is he didn't need help to enter this dream. So while it's a dream, it's also not a dream. Or something interesting where he just didn't need help into this particular type of dreaming.

Something to that affect.

"Last time this happened we were in a room where he was trying to move paintings... old war time... the second world one if I remember right." He might not be remembering right. "There was music on a gammaphone. I believe some people were in 20's attire. Maybe? Anyway. Just outside it was the real world, and there was a spot of between, where people and things faded in and out." There's a gesture and then he's moving forward.

"Actually... if you don't mind... I would like to borrow some of Doctor Essex's time. There's an experiment we're running and I need his opinion on some of the results..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
In an odd change of pace, Nick lets go of Lucifer. "...I remember last time." Nick responds back, preemptively answering the question that may form upon the devil's mind by him doing so. He does take some sense of change to form. Attire more befitting of his trips to the UK. A Henley, sensible pants, and sensible shoes.

Being that Lucifer's already enacting a plan, Nick follows after,

He's not surprised that things are blending. That tends to happen within dreams. But the general appearance of a vicar with a bullet wound, it does give pause.

World Wars...Right. Move along. This is not the first war dream he's been in.

Sinister has posed:
It is though, a remarkably peaceful one, relative to what it could be. So what if some of these dream beings are in fact, dead. A lot of them probably are, given Doctor Essex' actual age.

The vicar in this particular scenario looks clear into Lucifer's eyes, then at the space just above his head and... directly at Nick, through half moon spectacles and a warm, kindly smile. "Of course. I wouldn't dream of interrupting important work such as yours..." he raises a hand as he moves off and becomes incoherant "...Lady Forsyth... might I talk to you about the ladies seminary..."

The music starts to play a different track -- one that does not fit in with the general english garden feel, but well, the Rolling Stones are perhaps just as synonymous as other bands with Britain's times. Honky Tonk woman, through invisible speakers and faceless singers.

Nathaniel tracks the vicar's departure then gives the two of them a polite smile. "You've come at an awkward time, I'm afraid. We've been discussing a crisis and the rhythm keeps changing, which is beginning to put me quite out of sorts. I think I'm supposed to... finish something off, but my role models and colleagues have been continuously interrupted by the chattle."

Lucifer has posed:
"Just as well. From what I can discern having arrived when I did... you're working on the infinity machine. The one we were going to use to try and determine the correct course of action to stop the Apophis Meteor." Lucifer says this much, continuing to approach Nathaniel. "However, my dearheart, you are also not in your own world. You've put yourself into a time-loop, but a very slow yet fast moving one." Which is the best way Lucifer can describe it without knowing the technical terms.

"Also. You're asleep."

It's not dangerous to tell Essex this. He has more control over all things than one may give him credit for. Lucifer's part to play in all this is trying to bring everything back to a cohesion that they can then walk away from. "I'm not entirely sure why you've decided to play gather all the time lines and push them into the machine... or whatever it is you're doing..." He motions to all the lines above their heads in the bubbledome. "But I suspect this isn't all that healthy, and maybe we should work on you waking up rather than blowing away half your brains."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"It's in a bit of flux." Nick confirms, giving a nod to Lucifer's explanation since he's opting to just go straight for kickstarting the lucid part. "...Yeah when we found you messing with the device you were asleep, so we popped in here. "But... Being you're planning on asking a lot of what-if questions, it might be a good idea for you to not be holding onto the machine while you do it."

He pauses, "I'm assuming this started from a nudge from a single source. So- do you know what that one was?"

Sinister has posed:
"Timelines?"

Sinister stares for a long moment, incomprehension hovering, given that this is still a dream state, then he looks up at the sky. It is blue. It has fluffy little clouds visible between the small blimps.

And then it's painted in the sparkles of golden sand, glittering and hovering about. It's still the sky, but apparently a subconscious brain is superimposing?

"Oh. And I'm asleep. You did say asleep, yes?" He frowns at what can be seen and presses lips thinly. "Well, that strikes me as a bloody stupid idea, to try and do things with a delicate and diabolical machine whilst asleep. I -must- have had a reason for it."

Nick's question has him clicking his fingers a few times, plucking the memory forth with it.

What comes about is a conversation with another Essex, way further across the lawns of this hotel on this pleasant afternoon. He's speaking with a passionate, very lean looking fellow that talks a great deal with his hands. "...the observer effect, you see. The observation, the mere fact of it changes the outcome..."
"But how would such a thing be proved?"
"It is very hypothetical..." -- and it fades out.

Lucifer has posed:
"Are asleep. Were asleep. I think you came here...via a portal. Maybe one of your octo-robo-electro-portal thingies... but it froze juuuust before it closed completely. It's caused the portal to be barely open and the fireplace that you opened it in front of, is also in a sort of frozen moment. Stasis. Ish..." Lucifer is NOT good at using technical terms. Though he tries very hard sometimes to do so and try to help Nathaniel understand him more.

See how often it works?

Then Nathaniel is pulling forward a memory. Lucifer looks to Nick and then back to the imagery shown. Essex talking to Essex. That's not weird at all. But they're discussing something about observer effects. He seems to think on it a moment.

"Wait. So. Just us using the machine...and knowing the best outcome...changes the outcome..." Of course, this is likely why Strange doesn't let people know what he can or cannot see. But Essex isn't Strange. And this isn't the multiverse you're looking for.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick Frowns as he hears the mention of another Essex bringing up the observation effect. Lucifer's comments stir up a memory about a book. A close approximation of the plot would be a girl was warned never to look into a certain pond at sunset because only misery comes from that. But she does anyways and sees a guy in a red jacket dying from a gunshot wound from a convenience store robbery. Then she meets the guy at a friend's party. The rest of the book consisted of her doing everything she could to prevent the fate, even going so far as talking him into getting a white jacket. In doing so, another friend got shot, leading to a path to avenge that friend. Which ends up turning the white jacket of the original guy red as he gets shot as a result of her actions at a different convenience store robbery.

If only he could remember the title of the book.

"So... Is that why we came across the post apocalyptic type of world on our way here? To knock it out of the possible outcomes?"

Sinister has posed:
"Oh, those are AI empowered nano-tech bio-steel. They inhabit the walls of my Prime laboratory, as extra /extra/ hands. They're powered by the tesseract I made."

Hold on a second. Tesseract that he MADE? Actually, yes. People tend not to look at that one too closely, it makes cold chills go down the spine.

"Hmm. I wish I could say that that sounds familiar Lucifer dearest, but I would be lying if I did. I don't think I'm quite lucid enough to remember..." He gazes at Nick also, with an owlish blink and a follow up butterflutter or two. "Potentially. Yes? I think. Augh, blast it..." a hand is reached to his forehead and the temples rubbed energetically. "Yes though, Luci. Knowing a thing, seeing a thing, causes the act of seeing it, to alter the outcome. With particularly sensitive sorts of situations, that can be quite profound in the effect that it has. I have no idea why there's time dilation..."

He stares, looking through the two of them. "Singularity, you think?"

Lucifer has posed:
"Which means we shouldn't see the thing... because seeing it means we'll alter it, and therefore we'll be on a different path than the timeline we're chasing.." Lucifer says this and then sighs. "So no matter what, this world is doomed in..." He looks at his wrist. "Ten years or so?"

He glances over at Nick then and nods at the question which Nathaniel tries to answer. "Singularity? Maybe. Unless you're not asking me. Which you shouldn't ask me because anything I answer is being pulled out of my ass. What are the chances if we go back the way we came, this will all disperse and you'll either pass out in the Penthouse or wake up completely? Cause...I don't really like this..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Or it means we need to just meet it when it gets here and stop trying to peek at the ending." Nick replies to Lucifer's question. "And honestly this isn't the first apocalypse scenario encountered. If it's not a meteor, then it might be sentient time traveling robots."

Sinister has posed:
"Well, that's one way of looking at it Nick..." At least Essex admits that, but shakes his head softly to Lucifer. "Mmmmmmno, I don't think doomed is the word. Actually, it might be. Huh. I would interpret that in one way and say, highly likely. Probability and uncertainty are ..." Another frown "...problematic. Can it be undone? Improbability..."

Sometimes, things are simply held together by spit and a prayer. Tentative chains of events around a singularity are one of them.

There should be a kind of TWANG, like the knicker elastic of the space time continuum retaliating from the atomic wedgy that just got given. There isn't though. There's a soft ((pop)) and sparkling sand everywhere on the floor of the penthouse, the motes continuing their glitter until the ever-moving moment of /now/ makes them evaporate into has-beens.

The fire dances and pops once again.

There's a Sinister also, sagging back into the comfy chair as his legs can't remember if they're supposed to be asleep or awake in that instant. He's also lightly covered in the remains of the glittery golden dust.

Lucifer has posed:
That's a lot of unknowns and more questions than answers at this turn of events - and a bit of a grunt because Nathaniel was essentially talking himself in and out of using the machine for the intent it was built for in the first place. It almost makes him wonder if he should begin visiting those other realms, getting the opinions of the ones they have unearthed and maybe that would help solidify what should or shouldn't be done.

In the meanwhile, there's a pop and a whole cascade of glitter while the world fades back to the Penthouse from whence they came. He looks around and groans at the idea of having to clean all of that up before directly looking to Nathaniel who has flopped onto the comfy chair. Also covered in glittery dust.

"If I didn't know better I would almost think that Nathaniel just got home from a night of raves and disco themes..." He offers with a chuckle then waves his hands in concentration to lift up every speck of gold dust from at least Nathaniel's form and moves it all to the fire.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
While Nick is used to dreams collapsing, a double whammy of dream collapse and side porta collapse is a different feel. Like being rip corded part way only for another tether to start yanking you another way. When Nick lands he is standing in a chair. Fortunately experience has him check his surroundings before he un-Phantasms. He waits long enough for the glitter to settle before becoming solid once again.

Well... at least he's not covered in glitter.

Sinister has posed:
Being dazed and confused at least only lasts a moment or two, before biological control takes the steering wheel by both hands and guns it. "Right, then..." straightening himself up, the removal of glitter is given a half-glance and an amused snort. "That would be appropos if t'were edible. I don't think it is, though I'm rather sure I don't want to find out..." the phantasm chair issue is watched until Nick's out of the apolstery. THEN he's stretching, cracking neck left and right audibly, popping his shoulders and spine with it.

"That did not go how it was supposed to go. That is annoying. You... followed singing, didn't you? I was attempting to keep rhythm in my psyche whilst I worked."

About to sit back, he winces as he does so and leans forward as if pricked in the bum. "Ow. Unexpected ouch."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer eyes Nick for a moment until the man is no longer in Phantasm mode and solidly himself again. Though since nothing is said and he's just standing on a chair, Lucifer's attention goes to Nathaniel. "I did follow singing. I thought it was just in my head, like you were projecting until I noticed it wasn't in my head but in the penthouse. When I finally found the fire not moving and the edges of a portal, I texted Nick telling him I might need help..."

Lucifer then explains the rest of the events, which do not need to be typed out again because everyone was present except - perhaps - Nathaniel's consciousness. "I...I'm sorry if we disrupted your work and what you were trying to achieve. I suppose a part of me was worried because I have seen you work things out in your mind while sleeping. As in you are laying down, eyes closed, but you're contemplating eyelids and working out a problem. I've seen you work out problems while awake. But never have we experienced you being within a world, and dream-working within that world. It was...." He pauses. "Weird."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick glances over to Sinister as Lucifer sums up what led to their coming in there. "...If you consciously decided on that it might have helped to give Lucifer some warning first. My general concern was that all of that was the result of sleep walking and not with a fully clear mind."

Nick shifts in his step, feeling something funny. Glancing down, it is at this point he realizes he is without shoes.

The perils of last second emergency calls in the morning.

Great. He's got glitter on his soles.

Sinister has posed:
Eventually, that glitter, same as the motes that hung in the air, will evaporate like nothing but a memory, their quantum returning to the universal constant.

"Well, to be fair..." Sinister begins this, then thinks about it hard. There's a bettling of a frown. "No. You're right. I should've explained, but then I wonder if there would have been concern when things went stranger. Working consciously but... also not... whilst dreaming, is well... I've not done it often." If at all. That might have been the first time. "But on the successful side, it /was/ negating a measure of the observer effect, as far as I could tell."

All the while, he's reaching around behind himself, attempting to figure out what's irritating him.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer nods towards Nick and what he says. "Then again. It's been that for us. Last night you had to come into my head to...calm me down." Lucifer notes this towards Nathaniel. "Perhaps a part of me thought there was a residual effect from...things that had been said." He remembers most of it. He remembers the monster version of himself talking to Nathaniel in a first and third person type of way. It was weird.

It doesn't take long for Lucifer to notice that Nathaniel is fidgeting. First the sort of jump as if he had been in pain and now this reaching behind himself. He looks to Nick for another moment before stepping towards and circling behind Nathaniel. "Lean forward a little, dearheart. Let me see something..." Cause of where Nathaniel was trying to reach and feel is a very specific point that Lucifer is now curious on.

And re-growing wings can be a very itchy and annoying affair.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"There'd probably still be concern. But maybe not thinking the worst of the worst. " Nick allows. He shifts his weight to one side, bending the leg he took the most weight off of to try and glance at the base of his barefoot. He may have done better to sit down but the presence of glitter made him decide against that.

Maybe he should have.

"F-" THUNK.

"Ow."

Everybody... The next generation of dream guide. Isn't he amazing?

Sinister has posed:
"Careful, you're not out of phase, Nick... pillars hurt. We've got a few things with spikey bits on them and frankly that would be an absolutely garbage obituary -- got Glitter on foot, fell sideways into Bakh-nagh."

Sinister obliges though, leaning forward and arching his spine forward for a better view.

Along both of his shoulder blades there's a pronounced ridge pressing against the surface of skin. It looks mildly inflamed in spots and there's a hardened callous at the top-most edge, like an 'egg tooth' so to speak. There might even be an encapsulation beneath the surface, as often happens when a body is dealing with something somewhat foreign.

"Dealing with the dreams of the Devil's dark half was a rather sobering experience, you know. I almost feel like the taunting might have escalated at some point, to -actual- barbs being slung. Some of you seems to want to drive me to fleeing, almost to prove yourself right."

Lucifer has posed:
"Do I need to turn the penthouse into a padded room for you, Nick?" Lucifer asks in serious teasing. He then looks to Nathaniel's shoulders, seeing the pronounced ridge pressing against the skin, the clloused pieces at the top and where parts are inflamed. The body fighting the 'infection' of a foreign body that is and isn't supposed to be there.

"Let me guess. It itches, and even almost burns, and it's not going away? It looks like your wings are coming back in, love." He goes to pull his cellphone from the pocket of his sleep pants - since he had it before to text Nick - and takes a few pictures. The whole, some up close on the callused and the inflammed. Then he comes back around and hands his phone to Nathaniel so he can look at them. "I could cut open where the inflammation is... or you can let it all happen naturally..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick takes a moment before getting up. For one because landing on the floor wasn't the most comfortable of outcomes, and secondly... the general jokes at his expense are a bit easier to deal with. The performer takes a deep breath.

"I think we've established VERY much that I'm not a morning person." Nick mutters before he rolls to his side. He opts to just sit on the floor, glancing up to the other two as they start to suss out what's going on with Sin's back.

"...Are there things that can be done to alleviate that?"

He pauses, "Well, not stop them from coming back but the other stuff that comes from it. Like pain."

Sinister has posed:
Addressing Nick first, Sin looks over to him, chuckling soft and voiceless. One of the throw pillows is floated over without any bidding and lands nearby and the coffee carafe levitates to set about pouring three cups -- after all before this happened and it didn't honestly take all that long, Nathaniel had set the pot a brewing on a timer, for Lucifer's benefit. Soon, they'll be floating over.

"The pain won't bother me now, unless I let it. I just wasn't expecting it and got a momentary wince. I ... don't feel anything, unless I want to. We've established that had some detrimental side effects over a couple of centuries..." he looks to Lucifer then, frowns and stares out past him at the far wall, then at the phone. That gets taken and various magnifications are taken of the images.

"I don't rightly like the inflammatory response. That's just odd." He smooths his fingertip over the surface of the phone, lowers it and stares a little more.

"What do you two think? Should they get expedited?"

Lucifer has posed:
"They either get expedited now or you go through the daunting process of them coming out as if a butterfly from a cocoon..." Lucifer explains, glancing at the coffee coming towards them. "Had a cup of that earlier. Was an interesting blend. Hadn't seen it before. Something you recently acquired?"

But Nathaniel is staring and Lucifer is walking back to stand behind him again. The Devil has claws, you see, and in this moment he wills them to come out on one hand. Even as Nathaniel is asking their opinions of whether or not the wings should be expedited he is at least going to cut a bit into the inflammed spots to help them release a bit of pressure.

"You aren't technically supposed to have wings...so why is it odd that your body is trying to fight their existence. Again." Cause if he recalls this happened the last time as well. And since Nathaniel made the choice to cut his wings off well. Here's what happens when they try to come back.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick frowns at the supposed question. "Well. I'm not the doctor here. But- generally doesn't rushing something that is usually taken slowly a good way of introducing unwanted flaws?"

He considers the topic a bit more. "...although then again sometimes interventions are necessary." He allows. For some reason thinking of the concept of C-Sections.

Sinister has posed:
Well, technically, the last time they went 'hello' and promptly burst their way through skin, or at least attempted to rather more vigorously than this and got cauterized at the base when they were oozing.

"Technically speaking, I'm not supposed to be a telepathic telekinetic with super physicality that can control every fibre of my being, either. Well, I -say- can control, but these were rebellious the first time around. They wrote their code into my base self, which..." took a lot of getting used to.

Looking up at Nick, the coffee does arrive -- doctored correctly, because: reasons. "You know, I should've expected the two of you to play devil's advocate, it's practically explicit..." mutter-mumble. "Ok!" There's a whitening along the lines of the scapula, as if what's beneath is flexing in tension and the claws... penetration releases a milky, ever so slightly bloody liquid and a hint at ghostly white bone beneath.

Lucifer has posed:
What Lucifer is doing, Nathaniel can probably tell. Plus that the decision was made for him before the decision was really discussed. Nathaniel can't feel pain, so there's no harm in helping the process along a bit. "They'll likely burst out as soon as I give them a good enough opening to do so." Ignoring the milky bloody substance oozing from the area - that's probably just the bodies response to this all happening. Maybe it's not what Nathaniel is used to - but sometimes things like this just happen. It happens when Lucifer re-grows his wings - though he hasn't cut them off in a long while.

"No. The wings are likely fully fledged and are now trying to emerge. The human body doesn't quite know what to do with them because humans aren't necessarily supposed to have them. Then you get into mutations and meta-humans and all of that..." He makes another incision in the opposite direction offering a sort of criss-cross X marks the spot point for the wings to emerge from when they're ready. "Besides. Nathaniel's body likely overrides any flaws automatically based on how he's perfected himself over the centuries..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
With word usage such as 'burst' in Lucifer's explanation to what he's expecting, Nick is more and more sure that it's probably a good thing he's sitting down. Taking the pillow that floated over, he rests it in his lap, arms wrapping around the plush item. Possibly not what Nathaniel was expecting. But it's serving a function.

"You are kind of making me glad the only wings I have are the ones I imagine." Sooo much simpler to maintain.

Except for the times he doesn't imagine them when he's in the air. But honestly in those cases he just does really long jumps.

Sinister has posed:
Not so much as a wince emits from the doctor when his back is carved -- it simply is, oozing now in twin rivulets and straining in the ridge line. "I've ablated quite a lot of my genetic code. I don't ... know if there's any original DNA of mine left, except perhaps... in small keepsakes. But those were never much of a thing." That last is said rather quietly, absent mindedly, mostly because he's watching the pillow-snagging. There's a quiet clearing of the throat as coasters float over to cover the tops of coffee cups also, just in case. You know. Bursting.

He closes his eyes then, bowing his head over and hugs his own knees, to create more tension in his frame.

The sound is like a sail ripping and flapping in the wind as the things quite literally claw thier way out of him; at the 'wrist' joint, there's a dew claw that's ivory white, the limbs themselves rather more batlike than bird, their inherant dark beauty seems currently... gone. Transluscent, fingerbones quite clearly visible and ever so frail looking... they are not the wings of an Angel.

Lucifer has posed:
"Congratulations, young man, it's a bat!" Lucifer proclaims after the wings burst free of their confinement. He then sets his hands to blaze with hellfire and presses them onto the base of both wing points. As before, he's going to be the one to cauterize the wounds and even though he's using hellfire. Theere's a delicacy with which he treats his lover while doing so.

Though he does look to Nick after a moment and then shrugs. "Sometimes I wish I could just imagine them. At least for me they just sort of appear and disappear. It's a bit more of an effort for mister I wanted to see what Angel DNA would do..."

Then he steps back, takes a picture of the wings with his phone and comes around to finally settle aside Nathaniel, showing him a picture of the wings. "They aren't angelic. So I don't know what happened to make them come out this way. For me, mine go leathery bat-like and black when I feel like a monster... I know you FELT like a monster the day you cut the wings off..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"It's easier to do them in raven form though." Nick admits, "...don't think I've ever done wings in the back of the human form without consciously trying it. Dream Jumps just seem more natural."

He considers Sin as Lucifer reminds him about the DNA thing. "...Just HOW much Angel DNA did you put into yourself?" Nick wonders.

Sinister has posed:
"Bat..." staring at the photo taken, Sin flexes left, then right, extends them and retracts. They're more firmly attached by patagial flaps to the base of his back, rather than looser as they were when feathered. He continues to stare, even when Luci comes around to sit, with a flick of a glance that way and back to the image on the screen. The phone is handed back in a somehow lacklustre manner. "There has to be a logic there, but I currently don't know what it is."

At least the coffee is now safe. Lids off! And ignore the slight sizzly smell of cauterized Sinister. It is in NO way baconish.

"Originally? Less than a tenth of a percentile. Now, I think I have probably... about one. My original retrovirus was designed only to carry celestial telomeres -- those are the end caps on the chromosomal bodies that help form anchors during splitting and replication. All human beings gradually lose their telometric tails, which eventually leads to senesis and cell mortality, when you basically just can't repair yourselves any more. Angelic telomeres don't degrade, you see. No matter how many times I accelerated their mitosis."

Sinister has posed:
Sinister says, "This sccene, which is interlude, which is also paused which hasn't be finished. This one. Not sure what we're doing but we're doing it!"

Lucifer has posed:
"And you sure you never injected yourself with mutated genes that contained some sort of winged code?" Lucifer asks, pulling a tin out of his pocket to retrieve two cigarettes. He lights them both and then offers one over to Nathaniel. "I can't do any of that math in my head, so I'll just have to take your word."

There's coffee. At least he thinks he remembers coffee being on offer. Maybe not? Things are sort of...no there was coffee. He had coffee, and then he went into a portal and now they're out of the portal, Sinister has wings again and Lucifer has coffee. Well everyone has coffee made in cups for them but Lucifer is claiming his now.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick blinks to the amount given. "One percent?" Lucifer may not be wanting to do the math in his head but Nick did some initial calculations and the initial results are, somewhat concerning. Another glance is given towards the bat wings, considering. If Sin is at one and Nick is at two...

Shit.

Maybe it won't be the case. Sinister is a lot older after all. So m-

Ok there's got to be other stuff at play too. Lucifer's question about winged code is definitely a good question to be asked. And one Nick is very curious to hear the answer to.

Sinister has posed:
"Well..." Sinister quietly but silently lets his dressing gown just fall away. The wings do fold up rather nicely -- they're all finger it seems like, capable of scrunching up quite like a little membranous fist, close to his body and flush to him. That's different than feathers, which bend and get in the ay and are light and fluffy, but bulkier in the whole appearance of things.

And there was coffee. It did get put on to go on when there'd been a slumbering nightmare Lucifer. It is still good to go and it was poured out telekinetically. Mornings, go figure.

There's a sigh. "This is rather hard to explain. The abilities I've added to myself, have been smoothed out, perfected and spliced onto the code. Maximized to the effect of what they -could- have been. The ability to alter my shape and control my physical form down to a single cell, that came from one of le Beau's friends, called the Courier. A weaker version of it -- but essentially, complete reconfiguration and molecular control, down to the fact I can do this..."

He pulls a spud gun from his torso at the side and fires a lump of... himself... via pneumatics, at Lucifer. It bonks and lands, turns into a puddle of spud and slides on back to him. "In theory, it means my genetic code is -entirely- fluid. So it might have taken the Angelic rather better than some might have."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer thinks on this for a moment, lifting his coffee for a sip before he takes a drag off his cigarette. "You've explained that once or twice. Each time I feel like I understand it a bit more. It makes sense, and seems to provide me with a 'no, I did not'." Which would have sufficed but Nathaniel has always been the type to explain the reasons why such things are or aren't a thing.

There's a glance over to Nick - who aside from asking affirming questions - has been rather silent. "Are you alright, Nick? Just trying to process things or... is it still to early and your brain hasn't fully turned on yet?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick gives a nod as Sinister gives a further explanation. "In other words I don't have to worry about at some point giving a different show entirely on stage due to this."

Nick looks over to Lucifer, "More of the processing..."

Although, considering how he ended up on the floor hugging a pillow, why not both?

Sinister had a very good point. Sure it's one percent, but the blend of other stuff going on with him is different than what Nick's got going on with himself. And being he didn't really have powers until after Leo intervened, it's more likely the Phantasm side is winning out.

At least imagined wings go away a bit easier.

Sinister has posed:
"Well, no, that might still happen. Your DNA is at war with some of itself, arguing back and forth between abilities, so at the moment, it's like one... big argument that neither side is completely winning." Sinister shrugs, looks at Lucifer for along moment,t hen sticks out his tongue.

"No, I did not just wasn't quite accurate, was it?"

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer shrugs. "Perhaps not in the long run...but for the moment it may have? You know I don't get into that science stuff as well as you do..." Often having to ask for translations or tell Nathaniel to explain it again like Lucifer is five years old. Still, he smiles. "But I also expect nothing less from you, and it helps me learn in some ways so..." There one is. He takes another drag off his cigarette.

Morning. Coffee. Talk. Wings. Not edible wings. Manual ones. He now has to wonder if they've the strength to allow Nathaniel to fly. "So. Experiment time? Can you fly?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Just when Nick thought he was in the clear, Sin resuscitates it back to life with a different interpretation.

Blink.

Blink.

"...oh."

Shit.

When Lucifer asks about flying, Nick looks over to the devil. "...Are those type wings strong enough that soon after emerging?"

Sinister has posed:
"Well..." Sin snorts, then gives a faint grin, his gaze half lidded somewhat. Coffee is curled around, at least with fingers as he sips at it, taking the heat and the grounding element to drinking as a focus. If he side-eyes Nick at the 'oh' then that's probably not remotely coincidental.

"You could be fine. Or we could try and scare them out of you, so that they don't surge onstage... even if they did, these days you'd just be in on the whole winged singer bandwagon that appears to be quite popular."

Well, pttthpt.

"Good question, though." Uncurling off the couch, a long exhale is given before almost tentative unfurling occurs. Unstick them from skin-to-skin contact, extend, unstick more, extend further. They -look- so very fragile. But there's a beat, then another and another. Different aerodynamics to a degree, when its membranes and not feathers, but it does lift him off the ground by a foot or so before he thumps back down when the flapping stops.

Lucifer has posed:
"Seems like you'll need to re-train a bit cause they aren't feathered.." Lucifer mentions this. "They also aren't really all that batlike. Maybe because they seem to be made of the same membrame, but they don't really act like them in the long run." Having watched, and then he tilts his head a moment before looking over to Nick. "Honestly, Nick, if they haven't popped by now, they likely won't. Nephilim get their wings at about their teen years - when puberty strikes." He explains.

"Plus, even though you're descended from...the DNA share has halved itself again and again with each generation. There might not even be enough DNA in you for your body to wake them up per se." He shrugs. "But also, you might be a late bloomer. Never heard of such a thing...but there's always the one..." It's odd that he has knowledge of Nephilim when they're pretty much forbidden - or were - for a long while.

There's a look given back to Nathaniel. "How did they feel...holding your weight and all?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"I get the general sense Warren would probably take offense or think I was stealing his schtick if I started wandering around with wings." Nick comments, cracking a small smile as Sinister suggests they could be a bit of a gimmick.

And then Luci ruins whatever teasing fun Sinister might have been having by saying it's not likely due to his percentage being so low... even though it's twice what Sin stated-. and then brings up the possibility of being a late bloomer.

Nick scrunches his eyes shut, bringing a hand up to rub the side of his head at all the contradicting statements being thrown his way. That math makes no sense anymore. There's no consistency in the information given, and-

Ugh...There's really no point wondering about it, is there? If it happens, it happens, if it doesn't it doesn't.

Nick opts not to say anything else, just quietly watching the exchange between the couple.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister's steps take him to the area of the penthouse with the largest open space, so that he can extend them to thier fullest. Elasticated membranes, stuck to his back from shoulder down to just below the ribs. They're definitely a different shape, perhaps cave-dwelling wyvern would be more appropriate as a descriptor, if a bit excessively pernicketty.

He looks over at Nick as the man fights his contractions into their proper messy sack and leaves them to struggle around until they are, or are not let otu of the bag. He nods to the younger man, then considers as the full stretch and withdrawal to folded gently is conducted.

"They feel odd. I can feel -more- than I could before, but feel like I have less control. That makes a measure of sense, given the ability to control feather follicles as opposed to well... stretched skin." He lifts them up, as if to mantle, extending the dew claw and making an odd 'heart shape' out of them over his back as he looks left and right. "Why do I have the claw, do you suppose?"

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine, my dearest." He says this and then stands, walking over to join Nathaniel where he's doing a full wing stretch. "Maybe it's all of your DNA finally finding how to flow together again. But I wouldn't dare question your actual DNA makeup. It's likely just an unsolveable mystery."

Cause he doesn't know. Not knowing slightly annoys him. But then... he cannot have the answer to everything. Omnipotency was not ever his schtick. So he just smiles and lets his own wings unfurl. All three sets of them. Giving them a flap or two before smirking. "Wanna fly around a bit or do you think you need some time to adjust? And remember, I will always be there to catch you..." Then a glance to Nick. "Suppose you could join us to if you wanted."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
To Lucifer's sort of invite to join along for a flight around, Nick looks over to Sinister. New set of wings... The general visual shows they they can fly but the commentary hints to a bit of issue with control.

Are they intending to head off the balcony so soon? What if-

Well surely Luci would prevent something from happening but-

Nick sets the pillow to the side. "Okay."

Sinister has posed:
There is a long exhale from Sinister. A huff, almost except that it sounds hard put-upon by the fates that give him a puzzle he currently can't answer. Worse that it relates directly to his handsome self. Looking down at his torso, which is currently devoid of anything clothing related, he reaches around the back of his neck, forms a gith about his hair and seems to fix his regular kind of bio-steel body armour, only with a hole at the back and no cloak. A shake of the wings and a bit of an adjustment has them doing a rather pale (literal) immitation of the cloak he usually wears. It's the long fingerbones, they =do= look the part.

Is it envy with which he looks at the six wings unfurled, or some other obscure emotion? Either way, he smiles faintly as he turns toward the loud mind in the room.

"Just to remind you: Telekinetic. I fly without wings. With them is just a different kind of challenge." But he isn't about to fall, either. Not with a double safety net.

"You could just enjoy it."

Lucifer has posed:
"I could, and I surely will... but remember when you were trying to learn how to fly with the wings the first time?" Lucifer speaks and then chuckles. "You do have a fail safe. A thing which I am - often - jealous of. Cause if something happens to me mid-flight... I'm plummeting to the ground." He pauses, as if dramatically. "I mean I would likely make a Lucifer-sized crater, get up and walk away but pride is something I do not like bruising."

"Well then...shall we?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick pushes himself off of the floor. As he straightens himself, he gives a slight nod to the reminder about how he's not really needed for the matter. "Right..." The musician glances down. As he does so, there's a slight shift as his visage reverses. The solid colored attire and lack of patterns minimizes the effect, but not entirely.

The effort to minimize is then counteracted as there's a further shift. Not quite becoming avian in form. but instead by the facial features and hands slowly being covered in darkness.

There's a general quiet coming from the shadowed figure. But a general nod given to Luci.

Lead the way.

Sinister has posed:
"Now I'm embroiled in the thought that the great meteor craters that were accidental planet killers, were less to do with gargantuan spacerocks and more to do with bruised pride in early days. My goodness...." Sinister chuckles to himself, but inclines his head to the devil, watching the shadow take shape over Nick with open curiosity. Shadows are, after all, weightless.

"Very visually disturbing and more than a little macabre. I thoroughly approve..."

And that said, he looks to the balcony. It will be an interesting night flight, at any rate. No plummetting involved, but probably quite a lot of cussing. It's the way it goes. At least it's dark. Right?