3176/Truth or Lies

Truth or Lies
Date of Scene:	31 August 2020
Location:	Lux
Synopsis:	Nessa visits Lucifer at Lux to try to shake her mind loose of lies.
Cast of Characters:	Nessa Donovan, Lucifer

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Nessa Donovan has posed:
The call ahead hadn't been particularly informative. Nessa had asked if Lucifer was free, specifying that this was more of a personal thing and less of a magic issue. When he had agreed, she set off for Lux very shortly after. Thankfully, since it was before the club opened, there wasn't much of a need to change clothes. Her usual attire would suffice. With the call ahead the bouncer had been informed to let her in when she arrived, and so as she steps into the Lux she's already scanning around.

She's not really in a rush so much as trying to reduce the time she spent alone thinking too hard about things. As it's not hard to find Lucifer at the bar, she heads over there and leans against it, letting out a breath. "Sorry, I hope I'm not bothering you too much."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer was behind the bar, chatting with one of the employees there. He smiles at Nessa as she comes in, with a silent tilt of head at first, and then procures her a drink: a whiskey, on the rocks, and sets it in front of her.

"Had you been a bother, or the timing poor, I would have declined," Lucifer answers simply, in his usual honest way. He's always in a suit, it seems like: and now is no different. Then again, she has consistently come across him in the same sorts of environments - related to his business, mainly.

Lucifer gets himself a drink - without ice - and comes around the bar. "Come up to the penthouse, bring that along," Lucifer invites. "It'll be noisy down here shortly." He'll lead the way to the elevator, which is adjacent to the bar, but tucked away into an employees-only zone.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
The drink is accepted, Nessa tipping her head slightly in a nod of gratitude. She takes a sip of it eyes scanning him as he moves from behind the bar. "Perhaps I just don't want to wear out the warm welcome. Self-conciousness likes to creep up on me sometimes," she admits. "But I'm pleased that I haven't pressed my luck too much." Her glass in hand, she moves to follow him in the direction of the elevator. "You know, I think I've only been in a penthouse once before this, I'm curious as to your decorating tastes."

There's a note of seriousness in the tease. She /is/ curious as to what his tastes are. He's still a lot of mystery, so far.

Lucifer has posed:
"I'm addictive; I accept the burden," teases the devil as she follows him to the elevator. Once they're inside, he gives her a nudge of elbow and a more amused look. Considering how amused he /already/ was, it's significant. "Try not to fall for me too hard, though; I'm quite the heartbreaker, I'm told."

Once they reach the top, Lucifer lets the penthouse space speak for itself. The tone is expensive... and a lot. There's a lot to take in, and speaks loudly to the indulgent nature of the owner. He likes his fine things, his material goods: they're everywhere. Most of it is antique, but the massive flatscreen? Not so antique.

"Join me, I can tell there are pressing things on your mind," Lucifer remarks, moving down the two steps to the lavishly comfortable carpet, and reclines on the couch, with a welcoming gesture. Her choice where she sits, of course, but his body language is open to approach.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa laughs lightly. "I dunno, falling might be fun. What's a little heartbreak to teach you what life is about? Hitting the ground might be a painful reminder of reality." Her tone is just about as amused as his, and she steps out of the elevator to really take a look around. She does move out of the way so as not to block him from heading to where he likes, but she certainly does /stop/ to take in the whole thing. "Well, it's nice to see the luxurious theme continues all the way up. Good thing this place is big enough to hold all of this. I feel like I'm in an art gallery."

She chuckles, tearing her attention away from the things in the world to the other person in the room. She follows him to the couch, taking a sip from her glass before setting it down nearby. She sets it down, mostly so she can take her gloves off. It's a relaxed gesture, like taking off your shoes once you've arrived home after a long day. She sinks down onto the couch next to him. Close, but not intruding. It seems to be her default mode for him rather than most people, which tends to be far, and never intruding.

Lucifer has posed:
"Yes, nothing like pain to remind you of being alive?" A brow lifts, but smile remains. Maybe slightly something sad under it, though. Perhaps something about it got through to Lucifer's otherwise pristine countenance.

Lucifer seems comfortable as-is; his tailored suit doesn't impede his motion, so he's fine in his current state. No gloves to remove, anyway. "Yes, this is more the art gallery; the library is back in the study; I recall you do enjoy a musty old tome or two," Lucifer answers, distractedly gesturing towards one of the rooms towards the back of the penthouse.

Lucifer doesn't ask her about her troubles again, though the silence is a way of asking: or giving her the floor, in a sense. He sets his arm on the back of the couch, supporting his cheek against his hand, giving her an attentive look.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"If I didn't just sit down I would absolutely be nosing through your library," Nessa states. "Provided it didn't annoy the crap out of you. I've done a /lot/ of musty tomes in my life, there's a certain fondness to it at this point." But she's not standing, she's seated, and she's comfortable. There's the slow ease of letting go of tension, her hands coming to rest on her lap. She stares at the floor a moment, as if thinking before she looks back to him.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what to say exactly. Part of this was I just wanted to go somewhere and be around someone who didn't make me feel entirely out of control or used. I didn't want to be lied to or used. And I didn't want to be alone." The last bit isn't said in a seductive manner, it sounds like a genuine request for company. Just someone being there.

Lucifer has posed:
"Well," Lucifer begins, thoughtfully as she explains her reason for coming by, "This is very much a... come as you are sort of place," he says, extending his free hand across to rest the wrist on her knee, if she's open to the bridge of the gap. It's interacting with her current level of comfort, but perhaps also testing where the line is with it. He may coax, but never /force/. After all, she found her way here all on her own.

"And I can highly empathize with the anger and frustration of being used. That will never be something that will come from me," he says, directlty, and with an intensity, a passion in conveying those things.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa watches him carefully. He'd been good about presenting opportunities but giving her choice over them. A chance for some freedom. There's a moment where she's aware just how much free space is between them. Reflexive. Not a real, considered choice. So she scoots in closer to sit fully next to him. An actual, thought out action. "I'm glad to hear that. I didn't expect that you'd be using me for anything in the first place. Thankfully, you don't quite give off that vibe."

She moves one hand to rest atop the hand that rests on her knee. "It's a little weird to have the freedom for all of this." She nods towards the pair of hands. "It's like reaching for your car keys that are always in the same location by your door, and suddenly you notice they just aren't there. And then it makes you wonder if you actually wanted to drive."

There's a pause. "I don't want you to feel like I'm using you, either. Your company is genuinely enjoyed."

Lucifer has posed:
"Sometimes," Lucifer says, thoughtfully, as she looks at him, "You remind me of a little bird," he says, upbeat. It isn't offensive, from his viewpoint. "One that has only known this cage that she grew up in. And with the door open, even temporarily, it is tempting but still very scary. But much like entering a pool -- you're best off just leaping in and finding that it's fine, once you're there," Lucifer says, logically and convincingly.

Lucifer is disarmingly comfortable as always, but not in a sexual way at least currently -- though with him, that's always a part of it, unavoidable, much like his edge of hedonism. It's tempered by his attempt to lift her hand in his palm and kiss the back, suave, but then keep it near his chin.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
There's a little laugh from Nessa. "I suppose I'm a little like a bird in that way, yes," she agrees with his assessment. "But I'm not a free bird, yet." She tips her head in his direction, the movement of him drawing her hand in to kiss it reinforcing her point. It doesn't fail to color her cheeks thought. "You might be able to open the door, but I don't yet have the control to fly away." She studies her hand carefully. "It's weirdly easy to adjust to it, though, I guess. It feels like a natural thing even if it's not something familiar."

Her free hand moves to retrieve her glass for a small sip, then she rests it on her knee as she holds it. "Not very many people just happen to have wards for ice, you know." The hand that remains close to his face moves just slightly to touch the skin there, as if to make a point. "So why do you have them?"

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer lowers his eyes to her hand, inspecting it; he turns it over a little, as if to look at the lifeline down her palm while he reclines there. Though he noticed the color to her cheeks -- and she'll probably see his smile as he notices. He continues to inspect her hand for a moment.

"Ah, therein is the confusion. It isn't just ice. Temperature either direction. I am also immune to flame. As one might expect of a devil," Lucifer chuckles. He shrugs, he was kidding. He's not /a/ devil. "It comes more from my general hardiness," he explains. It's entirely truthful, and not overly elusive: it's how he feels is a good way to say it that she'll understand easily. His brows lift a little as she draws her hand to touch a bit of his face, entirely open to anything like it. Doesn't bother him in the least, touch.

"They're not ... /intentional/, this warding. They just are."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa's hand remains close to his face, fingers still brushing there. She sips from her glass before moving just enough to settle it back down on the table and rest her other hand back on her knee. "It's just a natural thing to protect you, then," she assesses, seeming to think this over. "Your 'general hardiness'. I suppose that also explains your willingness to just put yourself close to danger. Easy to stand in a cold blast of ice breath when you know it won't hurt you." It certainly does embolden one in certain areas.

"Sounds like you got all the good bits of a protection like this and not all the bad bits." She moves a fingertip as if to continue with her point. "Protection, not self-defense."

Lucifer has posed:
"Well, some things will get through. I'm hardly immune to /all/ damage. Please don't tell everyone, though, it might mess with my image," Lucifer laughs. "Sometimes it's best to /act/ the part of such things." He grins though, a quirk of smile showing as she moves that fingertip: reacting from the touch, not the sight, as his gaze has slid to her face now.

"I have zero ability to make any kind of ice. So you'll need to do that whenever it comes up. Enlisted for all ice tasks," Lucifer declares, cheeky.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"I'll try not to let you fall too hard then," Nessa replies. "Wouldn't want you to get hurt." Her tone is playful. "Believe me, I doubt there's much that I could do to hurt your image. You seem like you're a master of..." She trails off, searching for exactlly what she means. "Tailoring. You place bits here and there and let people fill in the blanks with what they want." The fingertip moves just slightly, in the way someone might tiptoe close to an animal that they weren't entirely sure they'd either scare off or be injured by.

"Alright, if you want me to chill your drink, all you need is to say the word. I'm on board for this ice task thing."

Lucifer has posed:
Whatever Lucifer thought she was going to say, it was not /tailoring/, and she gets a little blink, and then a loud, robust, deep laugh out of Lucifer. "Tailoring /indeed/," Lucifer chuckles, turning his head and acting like he's going to bite her finger. He doesn't, though, he just laughs again, grinning still. The intensity of it lit up his eyes a little. His aura suggests more than just lack of inhibitions; it's more than that.

"You have /no/ idea the falls I've had," Lucifer adds, mirth turning a little strange: a little tense. Still, he doesn't linger on it much. But there's some old pain in there, under all that bravado.

"When I fell from heaven, it /did/, in fact, hurt," he snickers, rolling his eyes, and moves to lean in, companionably attempting to put the outside arm around her shoulder, bring his temple to lean it to hers; fearlessly expecting her to be fine with this slight invasion on personal space.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
The distinct not-bite gets a laugh from Nessa, one that's followed by a sheepish smile. Mostly because he faked her out and she fell for it, though she's honestly not sure if an actual bite would have gotten a different reaction. The aura he has is already met with a level of comfort. It's easier to be yourself around someone you don't feel like you're going to hurt by being you. She pokes his cheek.

"Oh, I'm sure you've heard that line plenty of times." Her tone's still one of amusement, but the wording is leaned into. "Well, if it did hurt you certainly seem to be doing well for yourself now," she points out, grinning. His shift in position is met with surprisingly little resistence. The comfort that's there has an extension of trust. "We all get used to adjusting to our circumstances."

Lucifer has posed:
"Either we adjust, or... fight them until they give way, bloody stumps of problems that paid dearly for bothering us?" suggests Lucifer, smirking briefly against the poke of her finger against his cheek. He remains there, with a relaxed sense of patience. "I'm not really an 'accepts the rules' sort of guy." Hardly.

"Circumstances, hmmmmmm. Did something come after you tonight? From one of these magical puzzles?" Lucifer questions.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"What, you're a fighter not a lover? Color me shocked." Nessa's amused, but his line of questioning brings her back to what had been more immediate reasons for visiting. Why she felt like she needed to get out and have company in the first place. There's a slow breath where she doesn't say anything before she answers. "You're correct. I had a conversation with a fox on my living room couch. It was..." She leans a bit more against him to support a touch more of her weight, though that's likely to be more of a psychological weight than anything truly physical.

"I don't like lies. I don't like the idea of not being able to find something strong to build something off of. A foundation to support reasoning, a base to really start from. Like falling but not hitting the ground because you don't even know if there is a ground anymore." She frowns. "I don't like the sense of not having the strength, power, or control to change my situation or circumstances." The frown becomes more intent. "I don't know how I'm supposed to figure all of this out. There's a whole tangle of lies and somehow I'm helping and directing people on what would be wise but in the middle of it I'm just being /used/. I can stop people from being hurt. We can win the day and stop someone who would cause harm from doing it. It doesn't mean it's over... and it doesn't mean I didn't stumble into another mess of lies. I can't find anything solid to stand on in that mess."

Lucifer has posed:
"You're truly a /good person/, aren't you," Lucifer observes, with a sort of shock in his voice. "How on earth did you find /me/, good person," he wonders. His tone is kind, though, curious about her, marveling at her, maybe. It isn't mean: he's impressed by her in some way. Or perhaps more tempted to see what she will do in some other situations.

"These lies are torture for you, I can see," Lucifer says, shaking his head a little, and attempts to hook her into a squeeze, her head towards his shoulder, chin bumping her hair. "Stand with your allies, then? I've seen you attract all /sorts/ of allies to your banner. They're following you for reason. Leading them through this tangle of fog, hm?"

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa leans her head in against his shoulder, seeking out comfort there. There's maybe a tiny smile at the suggestion of her being a good person, but she doesn't argue it. She lets the idea of it just rest there for the moment. "I can do that," she notes. "I'm not afraid to help people stop all this. People are working so hard and working well and I'm really impressed. I'm going with the path that seems the safest for everyone involved." There's a pause. Maybe not everyone. "I'm just kind of worried for me for once. This situation isn't over for me when it's all over."

She peeks over at him a bit. "You do make me sound like some glorious Joan of Arc before she gets burned, though."

Lucifer has posed:
"It's not over for you? What're you afraid of, for the aftermath?" Lucifer questions. He leaves his arm there, letting her settle and continue to be a confusingly good person while in his company.

"It's fine to be selfish. I am selfish a /lot/ of the time. Not exclusively, mind. So I can assist with making sure you too are selfish as needed."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa keeps her head where she can still rest there but watch him at the same time, shifting in whatever ways she needs to in order to find that level of comfort. "He likes having a student," she points out. "That's not going to change after this. I'm not exactly in a position to just refuse that. There's some selfish desire to learn there, certainly. I could make use of that. He does as he wishes, though, and even if I'm given the illusion of choice, it's not quite up to me. I just don't want to keep tripping over these lies."

Lucifer has posed:
"He likes having a student?" Lucifer asks, and reflects a little. "He told you that?" Lucifer extends out to reach to pick up his drink, only disturbing her position a little, but expecting that she will recover just fine when he leans back into place again to re-settle. A slight demonstration that this isn't a brittle, uncertain thing - she can re-establish with him there and there's no requirements.

"There's always, /always/ a loophole, though. You're not trapped," Lucifer says, with certainty.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa watches him much like a cat would when she's disturbed from her position a bit. She takes advantage of the movement to fetch a sip of her own drink, then returns to her comfortable space. She settles into it naturally. A comfortable resuming that didn't take too much thought. "I mean, he's lied about everything else... I have no real reason to believe he's not just playing with my head more." There's a frown. "Really, I have nothing solid to base the idea that he'll even bother me after this. That's the problem with lies."

She seem to be thinking. "He is someone who's good at looping loopholes, though. I'm just not sure how to avoid future traps."

She shakes her head. "I thought if I had more information about him I might be able to use that to my advantage, but Thor was less than helpful in that department. I think it didn't help that I approached with the wrong angle, but to be so dismissed is... irritating. I suppose it's true that Asgardians think they're better than everyone else." She rolls her eyes.

Lucifer has posed:
"Well. Everyone does /want/ something. Including obnoxious lying Asgardians. It's the motive... see what he wants. Not from what he says, but from what he does," Lucifer answers. "From stories, I know he's supposed to be chaos, but... doesn't seem /random/ to me, not at all." Lucifer has more of his drink, with a satisfied breath, the glass held in his free hand.

"Sometimes there's power in being horribly underestimated. Be the little guy... the one they don't see coming. Mask your power a little more. See an opportunity. That's what I'd do." He smirks. "If he comes here, I'll deal with it. This is my home turf." Lucifer's comfortable, extremely self-assured about it all.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"Well, he does want something. He keeps coming back to meddle and part of that is me thinking he isn't getting the results he's looking for," Nessa notes. "Either in how I react or how the situation is being approached. That's my best guess. He's sticking his fingers in all of the pies but he keeps coming back to 'check in'." There's a lot of thought going into that as a possibility. He's not as much the immediate threat, though.

"I mean, I'm already vastly underestimated. I don't particularly /look/ like much. I work in a diner. I don't go around under an identity to do heroics. I just show up and get things done and I leave. Maybe that's a bonus, I don't know, but sometimes I'd like to be able to have an ego."

Lucifer has posed:
"Once you've saved the city, possibly even defeated Loki, we won't even be able to fit your head into this room. And you've seen the grandness of my elevator doors," Lucifer teases her, with a loose flex of fingers towards where they came in. Indeed, the doors are large enough to work with the breadth of significant, hedoistic ego. Such as the one she's with presently. Who, for all his arrogance, barely talks about himself /at all/.

"Also, I'm enjoying your look. Though I still stand by that I think your neck is quite elegant, and you could wear your hair fully up, or braided back from your face," Lucifer advises, setting his drink down to bring a hand up and sweep the fingers across her neck and ear as if to demonstrate. Though most of it is just to continue the 'human' contact that Nessa's clearly suffering from lacking. While he may not be human, he can emulate physical touch just fine.

"Don't worry, I'm no vampire - I just know that a great deal of a woman's mystique is in the arch of her neck."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa looks amused. "I've saved the city once, but it was sort of a secret mystical thing that people don't know about so... practically doesn't count, right? This will be a bit more visible but I'm not sure how much of the saving I'll be doing. I'm not entirely sure I want to get close enough to have the ice palace decide my magic is a snack and just go for it." She does, however, find her eyes drifting shut for a moment. It's the touch on her neck.

"I suppose of all areas of skin, it's a particularly harmless one to have exposed. The only people getting in close enough to touch my neck are certainly doing it on purpose. Hard to 'accidently' go for the throat." She smiles, peeking her eyes open to look at him again. "I appreciate the compliment. I might end up getting more people singing me ice-related songs at me though."

She seems thoughtful. "So if a woman's mystique is in her neck, does that mean I'm hiding my potential mysterious nature? I could stand to be a woman of mystery."

Lucifer has posed:
"Hm. What if we came up with something that you could use to restrict your magic... should you start to become a snack, you can prevent it?" Lucifer suggests. He found that successful spot on her neck that's made her drift, and lingers his hand there, with his usual perceptiveness. Partially to the throat, too: it's about trust. She came with the wish to throw trust at his feet and receive the same, and that's where they are. That place of open honesty.

"You must be exhausted from all of this mystery. If you'd like to get some safe, quiet shut-eye here, you may, though I do have a club to run, so I would not be watching you rest," Lucifer chuckles.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"That doesn't sound like a terrible idea. Some way to be able to keep it from being siphoned," Nessa gives a nod. "It might be useful in the long run. I'd hate to come to help and only help on the wrong side." She winces at the thought, but it's hard to really wince for long when she's relaxing. He's too good at that ease of tension. She shifts her gaze to his face. "I mean, I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the idea of napping in peace."

She chuckles. "I imagine regardless of my nap, you need to head down. I don't want to keep you from your club. I'm only going to be selfish if it doesn't impose on someone else." She gives him a slight nudge. "You've got work to do."

Lucifer has posed:
"If you'd rather come down, by all means. I have a set I'm performing tonight. I like to perform a song /each/ night, but tonight is multiples, with my new dancers," Lucifer shares. He still hasn't moved, though, he remains there.

"None of this is work. That's one of my secrets - I try to /never/ work, if I can help it," Lucier says quietly, with a sly smile and a flare of his eyes. There's a little pulse of his aura there, his /presence/. That light that is so dramatically concealed most of the time that speaks of some other depth.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"I'm not dressed for the club," Nessa notes, but she offers a little smile. "But if you don't mind me hiding out with the employees... I'm curious about the performing. I should have guessed you'd like to do something showy." Her smile turns into a grin. "But I'm big on music, so seeing what you've got would be nice." The presence is certainly appealing enough to entice staying in one form or another. "You've got fun to do then," she clarifies.

Lucifer has posed:
"Not dressed for it? Well. Not yet," Lucifer says, actively drawing his head back to take in her attire. "I'll send Norazeen up with something for you. She is, in fact, a demon, which... actually has improved her sense of style in this case." All of it is just said with a simple, thoughtful manner. Because demons are entirely normal, apparently, to Lucifer's viewpoint? New facts for Nessa to take in.

Lucifer then adapts back to the topic of fun. "Exactly so. I am /expected/, for a dose of fun," Lucifer grins.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa lifts her head fully so he can take in the raised eyebrow as she looks to him. There's a full on not-sure-what-to-think expression there. "I'm sure Norazeen has a lovely sense of fashion... better than me, I can certainly tell you that. Somehow, though, I doubt it would be something that kept me covered in quite the way I'm used to." She's not saying no, there's just a sense of skepticism. She's not sure what to think of the suggestion. The mention of her being a demon doesn't /quite/ register fully, mostly because she's busy trying to process this.

"I guess it can't hurt to see what it is." Ah-ha! That's about as close to a yes as is going to happen.

Lucifer has posed:
"She probably won't like you," Lucifer adds, as if he were thinking more deeply over his idea. Once again, there's some direct, BLUNT truth for Nessa there! "There's a jealousy thing with me. But you'll be fine; she won't do more than scowl at you while you're here."

So there's that.

"Point being, I have everything anyone could want here," Lucifer scoffs. "Including good beds... wherein /sometimes/ there is relaxation. Often not, though." Mostly not.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
There's a bit of a laugh. "I'm honestly not sure what she'd have to be jealous /of/," Nessa points out. There's certainly some amusement at the sheer idea of her being even in a position where jealousy would occur. She looks genuinely kind of baffled. "But I will expect she's protecting territory." She's grinning again, the amusement's still carrying through.

"Alright. You get down to your adoring fans, I'll see what she brings, and either you'll see me or I'll nap. Either way, one of us wins. Maybe both. Who knows." She moves to fully make sure he has room to flee back to his club.

Lucifer has posed:
"Hah! We'll both see what she picks, I think," Lucifer smirks, moving to rise, and release her fully. He doesn't warn her about not going into the library, or any of it. He seems to not be concerned. She'll do what she does: and Lucifer doesn't exact many restrictions!

"I think you'll win -- just in having a break here, in safety. Set those burdens down for a night, Nessa. That's what Lux is /all about/."