From Lucifer's Penthouse to Los Angeles, Monday Evening

[my_own_advocate]

Right. Lucifer considered himself again in the walk-in mirror. Was his bow-tie properly tied? The rest of the white tux was immaculate, but the tie...

Look, he'd managed to finally come out of hiding on the Rouge a few days ago. He'd spoken to miss Lopez, and discovered almost no time had passed. Which had come in handy for when Linda had come over to yell at him about how hard it was to find an elementary school for a child that was only a year old on paper. And then... time had gone on.

Amenadiel had yelled at him again, but he'd ignored that.

No, if they were going to be in Los Angeles, he was... going to try and take his mind off of the whole God mess. No one needed him self-actualizing anything else in a panic, right? So he'd arranged something special for tonight. A visit to the only magician's club in all the world...

"Now if only I could get this bloody bowtie right," he muttered, as he gave up, and finally stepped out of the walk-in, back into the apartment.

[[ for them, and based on Lucifer season 6 episode 1, 'Nothing Ever Changes Around Here'. ]]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Octavia took the hint, and linked her own arm with Lucifer's, too.

She made no witty comment to go with it.

[my_own_advocate]

They went downstairs where, indeed, Lucifer's car was waiting. He slid into the driver's seat. "Don't fight about who gets shotgun," he teased.

He didn't think they would. But sometimes it helped to make jokes, just to regulate yourself.

[betterthanaplan]

The narrative said that like that wasn't one of Duke's habit, too.

"I'll leave the shotgun seat to the lady," he said, moving to hold the door for Octavia. (He could climb over the side to get into the back, no problem.)

Hopefully adding a couple other words to the term would help Octavia with context, should she be unfamiliar.

[okteiviakom]

It was vaguely familiar, but the added context was appreciated all the same.

Although: "You'll be waiting a while for a lady," Octavia rasped, as she took her offered seat in front.

[my_own_advocate]

"Now, now," Lucifer said, looking up. "I do think your suit is very ladylike."

[betterthanaplan]

"But we can all you 'one of the boys' if you'd prefer," Duke said easily, hoping into the back.

[okteiviakom]

"Not much of a boy, either."

Hey, they had their jokes, and Octavia had... this. Raspy thing.

[my_own_advocate]

"We'll just call you Octavia, then?" Lucifer offered, as he pulled onto the road.

[betterthanaplan]

"Or gona," Duke agreed. "Or anything else you request."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia nodded towards Lucifer, right before craning her neck to look back at Duke. "I think he had the right idea."

[my_own_advocate]

"When don't I?" Lucifer asked.

There was something soothing, still, about this. Driving through Los Angeles at night.

[betterthanaplan]

“I’m not answering that,” Duke teased. He sa back in his seat and watched the buildings go by.

Couldn’t help but compare this landscape to that of Hell. Trying to see what about LA appealed to Lucifer so much.

[okteiviakom]

It was big and loud and full of people, was Octavia's guess. She also settled into her seat a little more, and watched the view going by.

Not thinking about Hell, no.

[my_own_advocate]

And so they drove through the night - until at last, Lucifer pulled into a parking lot in front of a tall, odd-looking, almost gothic building.

"Here we are," he said. "The Magic Castle."

[betterthanaplan]

"I don't know what I expected," Duke noted. "But, uh. That's not it."

It looked like an oversized doll house.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia didn't have enough of a frame of reference to judge either way, so she was just looking up at the building with faintly raised eyebrows.

"Right. And it's magic?"

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer sighed. "It's a place where magicians come to perform," he said. "Not a place of magic the way Fandom would think of it."

He tossed his keys to the valet, and opened the door. "Shall we?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Heck yeah," Duke said, vaulting over the side of the car again without worrying about doors. He leaned into Lucifer with a smile. "It looks like just the sort of place stage magicians would want to hang out."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia got up and out of the car with no vaulting involved, sadly.

She was quiet, taking in the facade of the building. Trying to see something that wasn't actually there.

[my_own_advocate]

The valet took the keys and Lucifer's spot at the wheel. Lucifer held out his arms for both of them. "Duke," he said, "Do you know who Dai Vernon is?"

[betterthanaplan]

“From context, I’m guessing he’s a magician,” Duke said, taking Lucifer’s arm. But no, I can’t say I do.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia re-joined them on the opposite side of Lucifer.

Casual and gentle about taking his arm, but kind of pressing close to his side all the same.

[my_own_advocate]

They entered through a dark, richly decorated hallway. Mementos and pictures of various magicians lined the walls.

"A famous magician, yes. He called himself The Professor," Lucifer said. He pointed ahead, to the beautiful, ornate old art deco bar - all marble and gold and mirrors - up ahead. "Dai Vernon challenged a young David Copperfield to a drinking contest at that bar right there. 1971. I refereed."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke chuckled. "Of course you did." He gave Lucifer's arm a squeeze. "He's an older guy, huh? He still around?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was listening to them, but only barely. More of her attention was on their surroundings - including clocking all the potential exits she could see.

Force of habit - mixed in with a little bit of distrust towards LA. (Haven's fault, mostly.)