Lucifer's Los Angeles, Thursday

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer	"Brother, we need to talk." Lucifer was used to the baby paraphernalia by now, ridiculous at it was, and yet seeing his brother futzing around with a wool toque while wearing a large baby harness still managed to earn itself a moment of pause. "... Whenever you're done with... whatever you're doing."
Amenadiel	Amenadiel looked up from his spot on Linda's couch. "No, no, it's fine," he said. "I'm just making sure everything's ready for Charlie's big outing later today." He set the toque aside. "What's on your mind?"
Lucifer	Lucifer gingerly descended into the living room, glancing around quickly to see if his erstwhile nephew was actually around. No? No. "Father," he said. Was that really a surprise? Even if Lucifer had recovered from his breakdown last Saturday and was eager to pretend like that had never happened at all. "I'm worried."
Amenadiel	"I'm sure He's going to leave eventually," Amenadiel said, pulling loose one of the straps that anchored the harness. "Has He been hovering again?"
Lucifer	"He's been... trying to 'fix' things around Lux and my apartment," Lucifer said delicately. "Things that do not need to be fixed." He hesitated. "He's overcompensating."
Amenadiel	Amenadiel frowned. "That seems unlikely," he said. "What would Father have to... compensate... for?"
Lucifer	Another hesitation. Right, no, Amenadiel deserved to know. "He came to me at the loft a week ago," he said, "And admitted that... He's been losing control of His almighty powers."
Amenadiel	Amenadiel wanted to laugh. That sounded like a joke. But it was Lucifer, and he looked serious. Kept looking serious. And Lucifer didn't lie. "...How?" he said.
Lucifer	Why did people keep asking him that question like he had any bloody idea? "I don't know," Lucifer said irritably, "I just know that it's happening. It's why He kept-- turning everything into an off-Broadway farce the other week." He turned and walked towards Linda's liquor cabinet. "I think He may simply have been on Earth too long."
Amenadiel	Well. That was at least a less terrifying idea than their Father, the Almighty God, omniscient and omnipotent creator of the universe, was losing control over Himself. "Right," Amenadiel said, nodding. "I don't think He's ever been down here this long before."
Lucifer	Lucifer took a bottle of scotch out of the cabinet and poured himself a drink. "Exactly," he said. "So you agree. We have to get Him to leave, so everything down here can go back to normal. I can go be naked with my boat people, you can go back to fussing over dirty diapers, we're all happy." Since Duke and Octavia seemed not to care about the love thing, he could just... force himself not to think about it. And what it meant. Yep. It would be fine.
Amenadiel	"Okay," Amenadiel said, unstrapping the harness and dropping it on the sofa. "Let's do it!"
Lucifer	"Yes, good, that's the spirit," Lucifer said, lifting his glass. "To getting Father to leave. Right now." A short pause.
Amenadiel	"... We should probably practice first," Amenadiel said, halfway off the couch. "You know. Get our stories straight."
Lucifer	Ah, yes. "Make sure that we don't... wind up quibbling about the details in front of him."
Amenadiel	"We'll provide a united front."
Lucifer	"Exactly," Lucifer said, pointing at him. "Practice first, telling Dad to fuck off later."
Amenadiel	"Mm."

Lucifer	He met up with the Detective on a bench not far from the precinct. Lucifer may not have been in the mood recently to continue consulting, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the chance to see her more often. General... relationship awkwardness notwithstanding. "Here you go," he said, holding out the cup. "One tall non-fat almond milk latte for the Detective."
Chloe	She was trying. Her best. With the whole... relationship awkwardness. Still, Chloe couldn't quite make that smile bigger than it was as she took the cup. "How are you holding up?" she asked.
Lucifer	"Well, Father still hasn't left," Lucifer said, sitting down next to her. He took the lid off his cup and poured in a little scotch. "I haven't reconciled my relationship with him in any possible way, and my-- well, you know, would probably be happier elsewhere."
Chloe	"I'm glad you're still here," Chloe said quietly. Complicated as it felt. "But the thing with your dad... I mean, it's only been a few days. Give it time."
Lucifer	Lucifer glanced at her. "It's been every day since the beginning of time," he said. "Perhaps some things just can't be changed."
Chloe	"I mean since you've tried to make amends." She absently snuck some of the whipped cream and caramel drizzle off the top of her drink with her fingertip. "You can't fix thousands of years of pent up issues overnight."
Lucifer	Lucifer sucked in a deep, uncomfortable breath. "I'm not sure there are enough nights in all of time to fix it," he admitted. "I think we may simply be too far gone." He hesitated. "...That I may be too far gone."
Chloe	"What do your, uh..." Chloe cleared her throat. "...Have to say about it?"
Lucifer	"They keep insisting they're not leaving regardless of what I can or cannot feel," Lucifer said, rubbing at his forehead. "That I can't get rid of them."
Chloe	"Good," Chloe said quietly. "That's... good. Because I still think you're wrong, Lucifer. No one is incapable of love. Definitely not you." Just... capable of falling out of love. Apparently. (If he'd ever felt it about her at all.)
Lucifer	Lucifer let out a loud, drawn-out sigh as he shifted against the bench. They were quiet for a little while. Only then did a thought dawn on him. "Detective," he said slowly, "Are you all right?"
Chloe	"Yes," Chloe said. "...No. I-- look, all of this is... an adjustment." She looked at him. At that handsome, smug face. "I just want you to be happy," she said. "And... and I want to stay your friend. I just need a little while to get used to the new normal, and... I'll be fine."
Lucifer	That didn't sound right. That ugly piece of guilt in his core grew another size. Who was Lucifer to do this to her? This beautiful, brave, strong woman. All because he couldn't do any better. "All right," he said. He was fairly sure he'd lost the right to pry, after all.

Lucifer left the Detective's side after her lunch break, thoughts and feelings simmering into a stew of useless goop as he strolled back to his car and drove home. Or back to his loft, at any rate. He walked into the apartment with a frown creasing his brow.

His mind might not know what to do with itself, his body told him he was thirsty. For something actually refreshing, this time. So he walked to the seltzer machine and got a glass out. Some soda would do him good.

Red fluid spilled forth as soon as he opened up the tap. "What the--"

Was that blood?! No, too thin. What--

He stuck his head under the machine and tried a sip. Wine. Red wine. He turned the machine off abruptly and raised his voice. "Dad?!" he yelled. "Did you turn my seltzer machine into a bloody Pinot Noir dispenser?!"

Of course He had.

[[ open for phone calls and those who are here. some snippets of dialogue under the cut taken from Lucifer 5x10 'Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam' ]]

Comments

[my_own_advocate]

"Because you were being grumpy and touchy," Lucifer said. "Glad we agree."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's eye roll was on the big side. "You're the worst," she informed him, extra raspy.

It was the most normal they'd been in -- weeks? Something like that.

[my_own_advocate]

"I am not," Lucifer shot back. "I know plenty people much worse than myself."

It was normal, wasn't it? He'd think about how weird that was later.

[okteiviakom]

The sing-songy quality was faint, but there. "The woo-oorst."

One corner of her mouth was kind of twitching up.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer sighed loudly. "Just because you enjoy being grumpy..."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia uncrossed her legs.

So she could rest one of her feet on top of his leg.

"Just because you can't tell when I actually am grumpy..."

[my_own_advocate]

"Oh, there's a realer, truer grumpy?" Lucifer asked, amused. He didn't move her foot.

[okteiviakom]

"Very much."

[my_own_advocate]

"I don't believe you," Lucifer decided, patting her knee.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia offered up one of her vague shrugs.

"Then have fun getting confused, I guess."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer snorted. His fingers slid down her leg to her feet. His thumbs dug into the soft muscle as he rubbed it absently.

[okteiviakom]

"Anyway," Octavia said (and it was totally not a sigh, when she did), "like I was saying... Liam and Amenadiel are going to do okay. That's all."

A beat.

"And no one's gonna make you raise any kids, ever."

[my_own_advocate]

For once, Lucifer wasn't thinking too much. So when that rub turned into a massage, he didn't question it.

"Good," he said, "There have been horror films about that sort of thing."

[okteiviakom]

"Mm, and we don't want one of those --" Okay, that was a sigh. "-- do we?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Heavens, no," Lucifer said. "Can't have some creature spitting up on my suits."

And shhh about his clear weak spot for Charlie and Trixie.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia wasn't going to say anything.

"I mean, it makes sense," she mused, looking up towards the ceiling. "You weren't ever a creature spitting up on anyone."

[my_own_advocate]

"One of my many virtues," Lucifer said.

He was thinking now.

Absently, about where he left the shea butter as he dug his thumbs into her arches.

[okteiviakom]

"Mmh, having sprung forth fully formed," Octavia rasped. "Like Athena."

[my_own_advocate]

"Not from Father's forehead, I assure you," Lucifer said.

He slid his hands away to go rummage through a drawer in the nearby side table.

Ah, there it was.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's gaze flicked from the ceiling to him.

Mostly just to watch him. She still felt like she hadn't had enough chance to do that, lately - and definitely not like this, while he seemed like himself.

"Yeah," she said, with a very faintly and very wryly joking quality to the rasp of her voice, I'm not gonna think too much about the specifics of all that."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer had entirely too many coping methods for pain to remain... not himself... forever. Whether this was progress or just the start of a journey towards a new, even more bizarre meltdown was up in the air.

As it was, he let some of the shea butter melt between his hands, and wrapped his fingers back around her foot.

"I also prefer not to think about what my parents... Mashing us together looked like."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia couldn't help assuming another meltdown seemed more likely. But she wasn't thinking about it right now. This? This was nice.

Even when she made a slight face. "Definitely not when you put it like that."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer chuckled. "Fair enough," he said, drawing circles on the inside of her foot, with just a bit of pressure.

[okteiviakom]

That was nice, too. Octavia sighed, quietly, her gaze sliding back up to the ceiling.

"And it's not like I like thinking about how I got here, either."

Though the reasons may have been different.

[my_own_advocate]

"I honestly don't know if yours or mine is more dramatic," Lucifer said. This time, his fingers worked their way slowly up towards her leg, leaving pleasantly-smelling warmth behind.