3251/Demon Fashion Sense

Demon Fashion Sense
Date of Scene:	06 September 2020
Location:	Lux - Penthouse
Synopsis:	Lucifer is a bad influence, but Nessa gets more comfortable with her abilities.
Cast of Characters:	Lucifer, Nessa Donovan

---

Lucifer has posed:
"Nessa?" Lucifer asks, a smile and amusement in his voice. He's seated beside her on the couch where she seems to have entirely fallen asleep. They're in the apartment above Lux; Lucifer had left Nessa to take a nap while he tended to the club downstairs. The windows are very dark, but time is elusive: how long was she actually out?!

Lucifer's willing to supply that. "It's been hours," he chuckles, his warmth by her leg and thigh from where he's seated there. He's dressed down a tiny bit: he put his suit's jacket away, though he's still as immaculate as always even without it, though the throat of crimson button-up is open to mid-chest.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa hadn't realized how tired she was. The sound of his voice, while registering, doesn't quite hit her at first. She's a bit bleary, slowly focusing as she blinks her eyes open to look at him. Had it been hours? She'd only meant to shut her eyes for a moment. It only /felt/ like she had shut them for a moment. She doesn't move too much at first, but lifts her head so she can glance over at him a little bit better.

"Mm? Yeah, I guess it has... didn't mean to do that. I thought I'd just be a minute."

Lucifer has posed:
"Feeling all right?" Lucifer asks, though he doesn't do any human gesture like, say, leaning in or feeling her forehead. For a moment he's a little disconnected, with a puzzlement on what exactly to /do/, other than to just ask her about it. Caring for others might not be something he does whatsoever. It just has a sense to it like someone that grew up without exposure to something like that: such as a very rich lifestyle.

"I might have suspected you'd needed it," Lucifer teases her a little. He did leave her to nap in the safety of his apartment, with the keen observation that she may well just be unconscious and never come down to the party. He picks up her gloves from nearby on the table, and sets them near her, if she wants them.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"I'm alright, yeah," Nessa's still adjusting to being awake. She's certainly been out hard enough that it's taking her a minute. Seeing her gloves, though, her brain starts to process a little more: he's safe to touch. Instead of scooting away, she shifts closer to invade his space. It's a sleepy gesture, but she's aware it's a safe one. She /can/ do that. Leaning in against him, her tone's still a little tired, but she's more aware.

"I did actually plan on coming down, even if I didn't sound like I was going to. I did want to hear your performance."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer doesn't seem to have some barrier to his personal space at the moment, though his response to her leaning towards him makes it clear he noticed. "I can tell," Lucifer teases in response, "You do still have your shoes on," he reports with a smirk and toss of his head towards her feet hanging off the edge of the couch. No doubt she only meant to rest her eyes briefly, not what it became!

"I perform every night; there will be plenty of other times for me to regale you with my voice," Lucifer says in a warmed sing-song way. There's a breadth and strange /skill/ to even that much, that breathes a clear signal into that his voice might be, in fact, as phenomenal as he claims. Is there anything he can't do, this guy?

"Noralzeen left you some things by the door; I told her to let you alone if you were asleep. I do not think any of it would be suitable for sleeping over, though," Lucifer 'laments.' He attempts to place a hand on the raise of her hip, and tilts his head at her. "/Will/ you be staying longer?"

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa laughs a little at the suggestion of whatever Noralzeen left being sleepover worthy. "I'm certain there will be plenty of other times for me to wear something I feel horribly exposed in to listen to you regale me, then." She rests her head in against him for a moment, just enjoying the comfort. It was certainly as addictive as she had expected it to be in the first place, but he didn't seem to mind--which meant she was in no real rush to quit said addiction.

"You're asking a question I don't know the answer to yet. This /is/ your penthouse, you can kick me out anytime you like. If you were asking if I'd like to stay longer, the answer would be yes. Will I? That entirely depends on you."

Lucifer has posed:
"If you stay, it is very likely you will be staying very much awake," flirts Lucifer right away, serenely and as honest as always. Still, he moves his hand from her side to bring the arm around her, and draw her face into his neck and shoulder, then moves the palm to under her elbow to lead her hands to rest on him. He is entirely aware of her concerns related to touch, and harming others with the freezing blasts from her hands.

"Would you feel less 'exposed' here?" Lucifer wonders lightly. "If it is in the privacy of this room?"

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing," Nessa laughs, though whatever thoughts that were tied to that one are lost as she buries her face against his neck. "Probably a good thing, even if I'm tired," she decides after a moment. She breathes deeply, her eyes going back to being shut. She's not falling asleep on him, but she's certainly relaxing. Her lips curve into a smile, and though it's unlikely he'll be able to see it, it's evident in her voice.

"Are you asking me to put on a little black dress, Lucifer?" It's a teasing tone... and she's still not entirely sure what Norazeen had come up with anyway. "The answer as to if I'd feel less exposed here? Yes. It's slightly less intimidating if it's just you looking and not a whole room of people. Only slightly."

Lucifer has posed:
"That is one way to interpret that," Lucifer agrees slyly, shamelessly. "The other way would be to suggest you might want to undress entirely and meet me in a bed," Lucifer laughs. "Which is my other suggestion, yes. Though most anywhere is suitable to me." Because Lucifer is an unrelenting bundle of various hedonistic sins, it seems. At least, what humans consider sins. Lucifer likes his pleasures and freedoms.

"As is with touch. You will find me /agreeable/." With that statement, Lucifer rubs her back once. Whether he really means any of it could be unclear, but the motive to play with her, relax her, certainly could be the other reason for it. To convey his own comfortable quality in a clear way.

"I do enjoy watching you experience touch. It is a pleasure."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa's cheeks are colored, though if it's from the boldness of words or the simplicity of touch, it's hard to tell. "I am certainly beginning to see that you are very willing in a few ways," she's blushing, but she's not so flustered that she can't keep up a light tease. "I feel as if it is your personal goal to find as many ways as possible to really get to me. I did expect some level of addiction, but..."

She laughs lightly. "You're a terrible influence, you know that? I'm pretty sure you're both aware of and pleased by that fact."

Lucifer has posed:
"Hmmmmmm. 'Terrible influence?'" Lucifer repeats. He's rolling his eyes a little bit at that. "I do get that a lot. A lot of that I find dreadfully unfair." Honesty again, absolutely. "But I will carry that burden a little while longer, until you feel ready to take responsibility..." Lucifer grins, "For accepting the things you want. And that you /can/ sometimes have them, hm?"

Lucifer drops one hand to hers, folding his fingers around hers securely, a directness to proving she can hold a hand, just like anyone else. In the right situation. "I'd argue nothing that I offer is terrible. Do you find me so terrible?"

Nessa Donovan has posed:
He's giving her exactly what she wants. It's still a bit of a foreign concept to Nessa. "You aren't terrible. Not in the slightest. It's a matter of me just feeling a little strange about just being free with things that I want. You're right about that. And it /is/ unfair of me to blame you for it." She's trying the honest and direct approach. "Thinking through this sort of freedom is something I didn't quite do. I wasn't expecting any of this. You're strange and very unexpected, and I mean that in the most complimentary way I can. It's a good thing, I assure you."

She pauses. "Good things don't really happen to me much."

Lucifer has posed:
"Yes, you are struggling to wrap your mind around it all," Lucifer answers, smiling, and drawing back. He very deliberately sits back from her some. His aura is strong: at least, compared to prior experiences with it. He's allowing some of it to seep out around the edges. Maybe allowing her to see just a little more of it, that there's some sort of /radiance/ to him or what his 'magic' is.

But while that is happening, he is also smoothly unbuttoning his shirt and dropping it aside. He then moves to rest back on the couch some, facing her, languid and relaxed. All of the intention of it is to push on the experience of her being safely able to touch him, but also loudly speaks of his own complete lack of self-consciousness with his body. Then again, he's a little confusingly physically perfect, so why would he be?

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa's attention locks on him as he moves, carefully observing the deliberate actions. It's inviting, seeing the bare skin that's very much being offered to her. Between that and the strangeness of his aura, she doesn't bother resisting the touch. It's safe, after all, he's offering, and it's hurting no one with the simple touch. Both her hands come to rest on his chest, fingers brushing along the skin, a delicate touch like someone on the last bites of a dessert wanting to savor it while it lasts.

"I'm used to protecting other people from me, it's strange to not have to protect you from anything. It's both a good feeling and a complicated one. I suppose I've come to enjoy offering that protection, even if people are unaware of what I'm doing."

Lucifer has posed:
"You haven't really used any cold, anyway," Lucifer supplies. "Just because it won't harm me doesn't mean I can't feel it," he says, mostly for clarity: he can sense it fine. "I suspect that stressing out about it might be a factor." He shrugs some with one shoulder, "Not that it matters with me, of course, but it could apply for all your various new encounters you might now have." Lucifer's grinning, and lifts his hands to teasingly brush fingers over her wrists: a clear welcome for her to touch or otherwise.

"Maybe you're getting better at control than you thought?" he suggests, serenely, with an arch of brow, before he attempts to guide one of her hands up as if he were going to kiss her hand. Instead, he attempts to play-bite on her finger, and grin.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"Maybe I have more control. Maybe you're a /good/ influence. But maybe I don't mind it if I'm not quite there yet," Nessa certainly seems interested in the touch, and this time it's not a shy one. She's exploring, fingertips tracing along muscles of a way too perfect physique. Even had she not been so touch-starved, it certainly would have been appealing to anyone. As her hand is drawn up, she expects the kiss. When it's something else, there's a sudden laugh combined with a flush of color, barely moving her hand away from the playful bite.

"Maybe I'm liking these encounters enough that I'm less worried about others." Perhaps enough so that she /could/ wear a more skin exposing dress to the club. It could be an option. "Good or bad, you're definitely influencing."

Lucifer has posed:
"I'm showing opportunities. It's still up to you to do anything with them," Lucifer answers. Such as, perhaps, any of the opportunities to touch him or anyone else. "To decide what kind of person you want to be going forward. Are you the person that keeps carrying around that dreadfully heavy baggage of never touching anyone, or are you wanting something else, something more?"

Lucifer brushes his other hand around her other wrist, encouragement there. But she is the shy one here, certainly, and anything she might think of is being portrayed as being acceptable to him. "It's /possible/ you might be able to harm me. Magic users have that ability. But I do think you'd really have to put a lot of effort and intent into it. I hope you don't end up driven to do that," Lucifer grins a little. "Though a little bit of harm can be an erotic thing, of course."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
There's a tiny laugh. "I'm not going to hurt you," Nessa points out. "You'd have to do something horrible to me to make me even consider acting with the intent of harming you. I don't see you doing that." For a moment, she pauses as she recalls something he said prior. Just because she wasn't harming him, it didn't mean he couldn't feel it. Cold frosts her fingertips, carefully controlled. It's no damaging frostbite-causing touch, but it's still icy. It's cold, but there's no intent to harm. Just to make him feel--she's in control. Maybe she could potentially hurt him, but she's choosing not to.

It's not just a flare of magic to make some kind of point, though. It's there to add to the touch as she runs her fingertips across his chest and uses her other hand to brush them along his jaw. "I just want to take back what was mine to control with in the first place," she murmurs, recalling his question of if she was going to let it be baggage. "It changed me, but I don't want it to define me. I want to be stronger than that."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer's pleasure in encouraging her - or perhaps the ice display - or both - is apparent in his gaze that intensifies, and his slightly manic grin that comes up onto the surface. He seems to like the role he's in: observing her better herself. Or give into whatever he's tempting her to do.

Can't it continually be both?

He doesn't exactly shiver, but it is as if he may have and suppressed it. Certainly he can feel, and the interactions within his current state can be interesting: something beyond just the boring same old thing. He chose to reduce his power level, to have more interesting experiences: maybe even to understand differently, to be stronger than whatever he was. Or just to feel /something/.

"You did describe me as terrible. I can be. We all have our faults, hm?" Lucifer asks. "Rage can be mine. A little temper I'll admit to," the devil says, calmly, but honestly. "Though in my defense ... those that cause it rather deserve it."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"I said you were a terrible influence, not that you were terrible," Nessa teases, though her tone is soft. "You're certainly not terrible to me... and faults are simply things that shape us as people. Rage is an interesting one. I can see it, passionate people can succumb to such things, I think." The icy fingers continue their trace. "Though I find it amusing you feel the need to defend your rage to me." There's a sly smile there.

He might be observing her, but she's observing him too. She's taking in little hints of what he's revealing of himself. Figuring out bits of the puzzle. It's clearly just as exciting for her. It's not a distraction, however, from what she's doing, and she leans in closer to brush a temporarily icy kiss to his jaw before the chill fades to something normal. "I'm stronger than I think I give myself credit for, sometimes."

Lucifer has posed:
"Habit," Lucifer laughs abruptly. "Entirely habit. I'm not in the mood to be the bad guy this... year," he grins a little. He's overly warm, though his isn't coming from a magical standpoint, but that aura of light he seems to use. It isn't' intense, but more like sunlight coming through a window, warming the surface of one's skin. His ability certainly is linked to light, there's substantial evidence for it just in this moment. He can't possibly be a creature of darkness.

"/I/ absolutely think you are. Join me in my correct viewpoint of you," Lucifer encourages directly. "Strong enough to do - or wear - whatever you like."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"Well, know that you don't have to defend yourself from me. I won't judge you as the bad guy. Maybe someone else might, but that's not something you have to worry about from me." Nessa's certain he's already cemented himself in good standing with her by now. Nothing he's done has been to her detriment, and many things he's done have been there to lift her up. The warmth of his light, though, is an odd thing.

Heat is a weakness, one she's more than aware of. Hot days make her a little uncomfortable, and too much heat can be painful, moreso than it would be to someone else. There's something about the presence of the heat, though, that's both intimidating and exciting all at once. It's not painful, just warm in a soothing way, the way she feels when she finds a temperature she's comfortable with. Dangerous but thrilling.

Lucifer, it seems, is her weakness in many ways.

Lucifer has posed:
"/Sometimes/ it's useful to be the bad guy," Lucifer says, tone dropping to a darkly flirtatious one. "In the right /situations/, of course. It's the immediate judgement sort of thing I could do without, without actually knowing me or my intentions." Lucifer slyly smirks, and moves outwards in a twist of body, elusive and amused. He stands, and turns partially, stepping over his dropped shirt.

"Still interested in going back down to the party below in the club?" Lucifer queries, encouraging, with a partial turn and gesture towards where Noralzeen left the clothes by the doorway. However, his turn away will reveal something bizarre and a little horrific on his back. Lucifer has some massive and recent injury on his back, running across each shoulderblade on each side. The wounds are barely closed; it looks like someone took a hatchet to his back. He isn't actively bleeding, but it doesn't look pleasant, with zero bandaging, just exposed. Lucifer doesn't seem to remember about it or realize.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
The mention of the club does draw her attention in the direction of the pile of clothes, but it's hard for Nessa to miss the injury on his back and not stop for a second to focus on him. While it was strange that he didn't seem to give any indication or mind to the injury, it's clearly something. "... who hurt you?" It's less of an 'are you okay' as he didn't even seem to pay it mind, but more of a tone of slight anger. She's used to being protective of those around her, but it's usually her she's protecting people from, not from someone else.

Lucifer has posed:
Oh that. Lucifer hadn't been thinking about it. This isn't the first time it's come up, though: hardly. He does startle just a little, when she asks that, assessing what she means, and gets the answer very quickly, following her eyes towards his back. "Ahhh, you mean that," Lucifer comments.

"Talking about this might ruin the mood," he warns her a little, but flippantly smirks. But he's fully able to laugh about a lot of things, including whatever cleaved his back. There is some tightness to his tone, though, an underbelly of some deeper problem. "And I suspect you may not entirely like the answer." The tone is a little cautionary, though not really evasive. It's more a warning that the truth of it might not be a fun one: and while he'll be honest, it might not be a good topic to walk into.

Lucifer faces her, which does block view of the injuries.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa's free hand comes to rest on his chest, warm for the moment, but she's pausing to try and get a read on him. He had shown some resistance to it, but he didn't seem altogether closed off to whatever was going on. There's the slightest hint of a frown, but it's not one of displeasure, more of something like concern. She's weighing if it's worth asking or not. "You realize even if it ruins the mood I'm coming back, right?" There's no real indication that this was the only opportunity they'd get.

"You've always been honest with me and that's something I respect. But for someone with a confidence like yours, you don't reveal a lot. I figure you have a reason for that. I'm not going to poke and prod at an open wound," she lets out a hint of a smile for the joke there. "Touch has not been an easy thing for me but you gave me an open hand. You offered, you didn't push. So I'll do the same. I won't ask you to answer my question, but I'll offer to listen if you'd share. It doesn't matter if I like the answer or not, doesn't change that I'll listen."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer weighs her a little bit, as well as decides on what sort of phrasing he's in the mood to use. There are direct ways to say things, but there are also ways that convey more of what he's feeling in a clear way - which ends up being also the more indirect way of saying something in this case.

"I mentioned the anger before," Lucifer begins. It's related, he isn't walking around the answer. "I get unwanted growths on my back that ....frustrate me, and occasionally I remove them. I wasn't attacked, and it will heal quickly."

There's some irritation about the quick healing, it isn't so much a positive for him at the moment. "There's more to it than just that, but I'd rather not talk about it right now. It isn't important to this evening: just an ongoing item for me for all of my existence." Lucifer gives a quick flashy smile, extending one hand out to rest at her shoulder where it meets her neck. "Which, I know, sounds like I'm self-harming out of anger or control -- I probably am. I don't claim perfection."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa's aware the wording's vague. He's sharing, but at the same time it's not the full story. Honesty's there, though. She keeps observing him in a curious manner. "Anger at something unwanted and frustrating? I don't know what that's like at all." She grins, just slightly. "A lot of my anger is... " She's thoughtful, thinking about just where she actually directs it. "In a way, I guess it's self-inflicted too. I won't hurt other people with it, but I'll hurt myself."

She leans her head in against the touch of his hand on her shoulder. "Nobody's perfect. I don't care what anyone claims, everyone has flaws. Expecting perfection from people is a ridiculous concept. I trust someone more when I can see flaws--I think that's how you can tell what really drives a person. How are they when they're at their worst." She nods a bit in his direction. "Maybe at some point you can divulge details, but you already said you don't want to talk about it now."

Her tone softens after a moment, though. She might not see the wounds from the way he's facing her, but they're still there. "Does it hurt?" It may not just be a question about physical pain.

Lucifer has posed:
"Yes," Lucifer says directly, but there's an indifference there in his tone, as if it didn't matter. "But it's hardly serious torture." And as someone that knows torture, he perhaps one of the supreme experts on such a thing: not that Nessa knows that. "As I said, they'll heal soon enough, no matter what I do, anyway. But sometimes it's more about not just /accepting/ things the way they are. Fighting."

Lucifer gives her a better smile, as his focus turns back more onto her, and away from his own self involvement. "So /you/ should definitely get to be what you'd like to be. I'll root for you." He moves his head towards the bundle the demon had brought. "If that isn't what you like, we'll change it."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
There's an understanding in his words, and Nessa nods after a moment. "You're right, you don't have to accept things just as they are." Fighting? She's done that for a long time. She's still fighting. She lets the focus shift back onto her, mostly because he does seem perhaps a little uncomfortable focusing on himself.

"Well, it helps to have someone on your side and rooting for you... so thank you. As for what I'd like to be, I'm figuring that out one little bit at a time." Her gaze goes back to the clothing. "You know, having the freedom to wear whatever I'd like would be a nice perk. All the little black dresses I've avoided."

Lucifer has posed:
"Take a look?" Lucifer laughs softly, with a languid arch of brows, welcoming going back into the topic of little black dresses. While it isn't that he dislikes talking about himself, he dislikes where some of those conversations end up going. And to the questions that he's not in the mood to suffer the reaction to. He's having a good time: no sense making that change.

"I'll find a new shirt," he observes of himself, moving back to the bedroom area to disappear into the walk-in closet there. She has time to look at the bundle and make horrified faces at the skimpy gift without Lucifer staring at her.

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Perhaps it's good he's away for a moment--it does give Nessa the opportunity to poke through the bundle. It's not as bad as she thought. While Noralzeen certainly had deposited something that was less than she would normally wear, it wasn't some odd style fresh off some demonic runway. Tasteful, but entirely strapless. She takes a moment to peek at her own shoulders with a bit of a frown. It'd be a necessary sacrifice, especially because she certainly couldn't just waltz about in her jeans if they returned downstairs. "You know," she calls. "I don't hate it."

Perhaps it's true now, but she hasn't tried it on yet.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer returns - a new clean shirt, apparently the other wasn't suited to his taste (or he doesn't wear things that have been on the floor). This one is a strong ultramarine blue, lingering into vibrant purple. It's a strong, overly bold color. He looks at her as he comes out, adjusting one cuff.

"See how it makes you feel?" Lucifer suggests. "I'm here if you need zipping." He hasn't seen the item, but that doesn't change the sly offer anyway. "Your jeans will still be here later, safe and sound."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
By the time he's back, Nessa's already wriggling into the dress. It fits, at least, thanks to material with a bit of give, but she does need the back zipped. She glances over her shoulder in his direction. "Right, well, it's not awful but there's a lot more of me showing than I'm used to... can you zip?" She reaches up to pull her hair out of the way--no sense letting it get caught in the zipper.

"I'm pretty sure I'll fit in just fine so I imagine there won't be /stares/ which is kind of relieving, honestly."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer approaches to do it, managing to keep further sass about that particular gesture to himself for now. "This is not a rough and rowdy club, you know," Lucifer chuckles. "You seem afraid a barfight might break out at any moment." His tone is scoffing.

"Not that those aren't fun, but this is more of a.... /well mannered/ clientele," Lucifer continues. "Which I require, or they're shown the door." He picks up his suit jacket, but then changes his mind, deciding to leave it. The stretch through his back as he rests, waiting for her to finish, suggests nothing of the injuries she'd seen. He's a chameleon when he wants -- which is all of the time! "Ready when you are."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
"I'm not worried about a barfight," Nessa insists. "Just that someone's going to look at my shoulders." There's a big difference there. "Or bump into me by accident and then you're gonna have to get a medic in to take care of frostbite. Not a barfight but the end result is the same... someone with blueballs getting taken out on a stretcher?" The last bit is an attempt at a joke, the slightest hint of a smile on her face.

She turns to face him fully, taking a moment to look at him in the fresh shirt. "You look good," she states before she finishes properly assembling her attire. "I guess I'm as ready as I'm going to be right now."

Lucifer has posed:
"What makes you think that no healing is possible here?" Lucifer wonders, as if slightly affronted by her assumption. "The number of demons?" He laughs, and admits openly, "That normally isn't a bad assumption." His eyes move over her appreciatively, to her feet.

"Let's go steal Noralzeen's heels for you," Lucifer decides absently, and then moves towards the elevator, waiting for her there. "Finish that look off properly."

Nessa Donovan has posed:
Nessa shrugs. "Okay, to be fair I don't know what all your club offers. I've already got some healing of a sort, so I take that back." She grins at him, moving over to the elevator. "She's really not gonna like me at this rate, I think. Might have to start bringing her some kind of peace offering..." She meets him next to the elevator. "You owe me the grand tour, though. I don't think I've seen all of the den of debauchery yet." She smirks.

"Just the good bits."