8830/Some Thanks Given

Some Thanks Given
Date of Scene:	26 November 2021
Location:	The Dakota - Amanda's Apartment
Synopsis:	Amanda and Lucifer talk about thanksgiving, asgardians, and sins.
Cast of Characters:	Lucifer, Amanda Sefton

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Lucifer has posed:
"I don't want to /shatter/ that, not my intent, I assure you," Lucifer is saying from the vacinity of Amanda's apartment balcony, framed by the now-opened door he's slid open.

The door was probably locked physically. Lucifer doesn't really recognize the presence of locks or most barriers, and didn't think to not just open the door.

Lucifer's talking about the mystical barriers set, those alarms, which no doubt react to such a sudden arrival, particularly one with a rather fluttering 'heartbeat' of hellfire embers just at the surface. It's caused a muted reddish supernatural glow, as if some inner magic were diffused under the skin.

"Now is a good time, yes?" Cheerful query, expectant that it is, he's mostly smiles.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda, having returned home from a family gathering, turns when she hears the balcony door open, blonde brow rising. That it's Lucifer's voice that reaches her ears and not someone just throwing themselves against her wards. She laughs, relaxing, and makes a gesture to allow the wards to relax so he can pass through without shattering her magic. "It's fine," she tells him. "Come on in. Can I get you a drink?" As always, she's got the kettle just starting up, but the liquor cabinet is usually well-stocked.

Lucifer has posed:
"Always. Something strong, ideally that could kick an angel's teeth in," Lucifer requests, loud. His voice carries when he means it to, and there's some of that inner hellfire in it today that makes it claw at the ambiant shields a little.

"I could small talk, but let me quickly get this out of the way," Lucifer requests, with a visible shift in demeanor as if he were checking himself back into a polite, gentlemanly vibe. It works, he does effectively make himself adjust.

"Historically, I am somewhat prone to anger issues," Lucifer says, in a sort of throw-away manner. "I've chosen /not/ to focus on the object of my ire and instead find a pleasant distraction. There is not a small amount of danger from being in my company at the time being, though. I think it fair to warn about it." Lucifer comes along to the kitchen now, and rotates his shoulders back in a smooth emulation of relaxing out of a tighter and more aggressive body language.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda blinks at Lucifer's disclaimer. "Perhaps we should go some place away from innocents, then?" she suggests, a brow arching. "My library should suffice. And I have Asgardian Mead or Karstian Whiskey there, which can dump a Valkyrie on her ass, I've discovered. Is that strong enough?" The library, of course, is outside of this world in a small pocket dimension she's managed to create for herself -- and fuel from her connection to the city. It's also her general place to retreat when the world gets too much.

Lucifer has posed:
"I don't just.. explode randomly," Lucifer says, with a slightly quick laugh. It feels a little bit 'actor' -- which more shows that there are some emotions going on that are strong enough to disrupt Lucifer's ability to act however he chooses.

"Just don't deliberately antagonize me," Lucifer teases. He's joking now, as if to downplay the severity of earlier statements: which is normal for him. He follows the same pattern when he tells people what he is, and then backpedals a little so that they aren't too alarmed by his blunt truth. "The Karstian Whiskey will do fine. Is there a comfortable place to recline for two at the library?" Edge of flirt, but not quite.

While something IS off (and he told her what it was), there is distinct effort there to try to manage himself out of that issue.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Unlike most people, Amanda has seen (and survived) the aftermath of one of Lucifer's 'anger issues'. She's very glad she wasn't there for the main event. The advantage she brings is that, even knowing how terrifying he truly is, how much greater a power he is than she, she is unafraid of him. Or, at least, unwilling to give into that fear. She respects that power, certainly. She will not cower before it. Not yet, anyway.

"I'l do my best," she says with a chuckle. She takes the kettle off the stove and turns it off. Then she waves her hand to open a portal to the little pocket world. "But, yes. There's a fireplace and everything." Because, really, if you're going to create your own little pocket dimension, you might as well make it comfortable. She steps through to the area with the fireplace, in fact. It has the feel of an old world library in many ways, but the decor has the patterns of her Romani heritage. The fireplace is broad. There's a wingback chair or two and a sofa nearby, and cabinets and chests. Beyond, of course, are the shelves. As far as mystical libraries go, it's small. Cozy even. But it's hers.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer collects his whiskey first before going anywhere, but he seems to happily come along to the library. He sets down his glass temporarily -- just to shed his jacket and drape it over one of the extra chairs while making himself the very appearance of luxurious comfort on the sofa. His eyes slide around the little zone, and he seems to consider something - which she may rightly idenfity as him pulling in information about the area in his perceptive way.

"I haven't seen inside your pocket before. It does feel like you," Lucifer observes, thoughtful. "Something I expected is missing, though. I expected an aquarium. Couldn't say why. Just felt like you'd have had one."

"Speaking of /you/ - I did notice it's a holiday today. The traffic alone made that clear. Did you have an enjoyable day of appreciation?"

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda settles for a glass of a human brand of scotch, simply because she knows the Karstian stuff will knock her on her ass before she's a third of the way through the cup. She moves to sit on the far end of the sofa, one knee bent and curled beneath her. "Aquariums are far too much work," she tells him, chuckling softly. "I'm more a creature of the earth than the water, anyway." Earth, or maybe fire. She's urban, more than rural -- which is odd for a gypsy -- so it's hard to say.

She sips her scotch and flashes him a smile. "I did. I ate far more than I needed to, but that's normal. But it appeased friends and family alike, and that's the main thing." As if it were a sacrifice for her. It certainly wasn't. Amanda cherishes those she calls friends and family, even if she is rarely in close proximity to them.

She'd turn the question back on him, but since he mentioned anger issues (and aren't those oh so common around the holidays), she decides to avoid it, instead. "How are things at Lux? I have dropped in, in a while."

Lucifer has posed:
"Well enough, as I understand it," Lucifer says, in a manner that brings a clear distance in his tone: he hasn't been there. "I set many shows in motion before tending to some /work/," Lucifer adds, with all of the distaste that one would normally add to a job they dislike.

"Which, to some degree, is to put entirely different things in motion before resuming my vacation here." Lucifer's being vague, but there isn't a pause in secretiveness with it - more that he doesn't feel like talking about it, or it's part of what's annoyed him.

Lucifer observes her at the far end of the sofa, and drapes one arm on the back of it - there's an invitation but that's where it ends. He's not one for pressure. Instead, making opportunities, and seeing what ones others take, or avoid. It may be part of him distracting himself: Lucifer is not a model of coping skills.

"I enjoy the ritual of gluttony," grins the devil. "Feasts every day, I'd say," he chuckles. "Enjoy the sparks in life all that you can. Living without experiences like that? That's the shame."

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda's eyes dance a little. "I have no doubt you do," she replies. "But my body can't handle the sins of excess as a constant diet." Any of them. "Today was nice. I'm glad Yule is another month away." Recovery period.

She moves a little closer, simply because it's companionable and she's relaxed. She had enough wine earlier to see to that -- though not so much as to leave her cloudy, now. "It feels like it's been ages since I've seen you." She smirks slightly. "Even your fans have crept back into the shadows." Not that she's ever encouraged them to stick around. But she's noticed she has fewer observers. Or perhaps they're just all the more cunning about it. Who's to say?

"I've been kept busy helping a Valkyrie retrieve her sword. Seems some Asgardian sorceress stole it." She'd be more worried about taking the woman on, except she's already got the sort of help that could likely kick her own ass. So she won't be doing the heavy lifting on this one. "I've gone through a small fortune in Asgardian liquor, thanks to her."

Lucifer has posed:
"Don't underestimate yourself!" Lucifer encourages emphatically. "I am certain your body could handle /far/ more sin than you give it credit for. Trust the expert on this. You've barely scratched the surface." He's playing. It's a little 'deliberate': like he's forcing his mood to shift that way, but just because it's an intentional shift doesn't make it fake. He pairs it with a splay of hand to her shoulder, companionable but also light, which gives it another quality. Softer can convey a lot.

Her mentioning the fans didn't phase him out of that at all. "Ah! I took care of some of that, threw a demon contact out for them to prattle on with. Best route really is to give them something else to focus on," Lucifer explains.

"Asgardians stealing from each other? Hardly surprising. Is the item still missing?" Lucifer queries.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda laughs as Lucifer dutifully (so to speak) encourages her to excess. He *is* the devil, after all. She should expect it. She settles back against the couch, and sips her drink again before making a soft 'ah' sound that's more a response to his revelation about distracting his fans than anything to do with the drink itself. "I did wonder."

As she returns to the topic of the Asgardians, she snirks softly, though it's not truly an irritated sound. "I don't doubt it," she says. Loki's been here enough, stealing from her -- after a fashion and protected by his erstwhile deal with her -- that she knows there are no qualms there. "But, yes. I'm given to understand that Amora took the Dragonfang from Strange. So, he and his... hmm... I'd say 'friend', but I'm fairly certain they're paramours... in any case, the pair of them have agreed to help us draw Amora out and ask for the sword's return." Her lips twist into a wry smile. "Odds on whether or not she'll comply easily?" She figures they're pretty even. But she doesn't know the history, so that's just playing it safe.

Lucifer has posed:
"So this asking ... comes with some leverage, I'd assume? /Something/, even if you're not going to go for brute force?" Lucifer wonders. There's a little drag to his voice about brute force there, as if it maybe appeals, but he doesn't linger over it, and instead looks more thoughtful.

"Or perhaps you had something to trade with her...?" Lucifer likes deals, so he naturally went that way as a guess of their approach.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
"Trade was the first thing we considered, actually," Amanda tells him. By now, he's probably figured out 'brute force' isn't Amanda's go-to. She usually tries to find another way first. And she does tend to prefer a sideways approach. "The challenge is finding something worth trading to her. I don't know her well enough. So, without getting more of a read on her?" She shrugs. "Both Strange and Illyana seemed to think a trade might be dicey, but neither of them were suggesting we go in wands blazing." She sips her drink and smiles. "So... I think the current plan is to actually just ask her to return it and see what happens." Her head shakes briefly. "I don't imagine Brunnhilde will react well, if Amora refuses, however."

Lucifer has posed:
"Hmmm. I might be coaxed to help with an appropriate object for trade, but... I'd need a better read on what she'd want. But perhaps you /can/ get her to tell you what she'd take for it. If it's something in my power to grant or direct you to so that you can 'liberate' it for use here, could be possible." Lucifer grins then, a little, "Unless you don't need my aid, which is fine too. Being helpful and a good person or not doesn't particularly affect me." It does, by a lot, but Lucifer is lying to himself, or cloaking, or some other internal mess of perception.

Lucifer downs his drink, the remains of it, in one go, and with a happy sigh puts the glass down. And gives her a bright smile. "My tendency to have cursed items that destroy the thief now makes some clear logic, doesn't it," Lucifer winks. It is true that most items related to him are horrifically cursed. The choice of stealing from the devil has massive price tags.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
"Mm," Amanda agrees, "Yes. That tendency makes perfect sense now." Not that she ever really doubted it before. "If I can find out more about her, I may take you up on that. It will largely depend on what Strange comes up with, I expect." She rather expects the sorcerer to be less sanguine about dealing with a Power like Lucifer than she is. But, then, even she is careful about the favours she asks.

Respect the Power.

And respect the self-delusion. For now. Bringing up his tendency to actually want to be genuinely helpful and 'good' while she knows he's trying to shake off being irritable and angry, does not strike Amanda as the wisest move. It is, though, one of the things she finds attractive about him.

She chuckles now, a dry, skeptical tone. "About the only thing I know Amora likes, apparently, is the Asgardian prince, Thor. I think we managed to talk Brunnhilde out of that."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer does seem to be growing less distant, and more focused on the situation she's put forth. That does, as a side effect, draw him away from being irritable. His decision to seek her out to modify his mood and behavior may have been a wise one.

"I like Strange. Interesting man," Lucifer adds, with only sounding lightly judgemental. "Pride is my favorite sin."

He focuses quickly to what Amora likes, next. "Any chance of involving Thor, then? Put all the Asgardians in a box, shake lightly..."

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda flashes a grin at that. "I *like* that plan," she admits. She's generally fond of Thor. The few times she's met him, he's been respectful and honest. His brother? She could live without him. Then again, were it not for him, she wouldn't have the mechanical Sir Patrick, who's become quite the homunculus and almost a familiar over time.

Not that she'll ever tell Loki that.

"There's an appeal to letting them sort it out themselves, certainly," she says. "But, I like Brunnhilde. She's a brawler, but from what I've seen that seems to be Asgardians for you: They're either brawlers or spellslingers. The brawlers, at least, are honest."

As for Strange? "Aside from being a man of fairly impressive power, I don't know Strange all that well. I suspect, though, that many of us gifted with magic tend to suffer from pride to some degree." She does suspect, though, that Strange's pride might be very nearly the match of her mother's... though, to be fair, she tends to think of greed as her mother's primal sin.

Lucifer has posed:
"From what I know, that's the breeds of Asgardian that come /here/," Lucifer answers. "The two main groups, anyway. Odin is mostly a brawler -- or was. I can't speak to his status now, he may have changed over time since my last encounter, and I don't tend to visit them; no need to rile the up," Lucifer says, with a thoughtful stare into the air as he rifles his mental fingers through huge stacks of old memory.

But then Lucifer puts his gaze back to Amanda, smile vague. "You know, I tease about sin, but... you are allowed to be proud of your hard work and your accomplishments. The /sin/ is thinking yourself as greater than your fellow humans. Much like 'greed' is only a sin when it takes from those weaker."

Amanda Sefton has posed:
"But don't we think ourselves greater, often as not?" Amanda remarks. She's not guilty often, but it does happen. She knows it. Though, it's easy to justify -- keeping others safe, protecting the world from things much worse than what most other people can handle. "I suppose most anyone who takes up the mantle of defender can slip into that trap, magic or not."

Unfortunately, even if Amanda may be light on those sins, her mother is not. She hits both those buttons fairly hard.

Lucifer has posed:
"Sure. Does doing magic mean you, say, deserve better things than someone that doesn't?" Lucifer wonders, with a quiet curiosity. "Maybe it does." He's being a temptation - aware of the sin line, and just mentioned where it was, and he's playing in his way. "How many people is one magic user equal to, I wonder, if you had to save a magic user, or a group of normal humans?" Lucifer smiles a bit more. "If the answer is high, might be sinning a bit with that self-love." Lucifer taps on finger to his lips.

"Later you can brag to your friends about chatting ethics with Lucifer," he teases her, with a playful bat of fingers. "Though they may not react with envy. Sadly. I do deserve it."

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda finishes her scotch and sets her own glass down. "I tend not to believe our lives are more important than any other's. That said, I do think we have more resources than many others and that can swing the balance." However, she's not really sure she wants to engage in that debate just now. Thus, she laughs when he points it out. "Oh, I'm sure I'll be the envy of the magic set." Probably not. But it would be a curiosity. "But it's probably too late for me to really get deep into those weeds."

Lucifer has posed:
"You /might/ not end up in hell, then," Lucifer smirks back at her. "I am not, for the record, trying to bring you into a place of torture. It's fully up to you, really, though I'd prefer not to see you end up down there." His smile hooks sideways, a rueful, softened quality to him during the expression. Possibly enough to put the nasty part of his nature out of sight and out of mind for the time being. The angry, frustrated jailor employment that defines him so often.

"It /is/ late. How about a massage to soothe a bit, then well-deserved rest?" Lucifer tempts. Of course.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda would prefer not to end up in hell, too. Not as punishment, certainly. "I'll try to work on that," she smiles. But when he offers the massage, the smile turns wry and faintly amused. "A massage and a rest is, in fact, a very tempting offer." But he knows that. They both know that. She also doesn't consider it sin to indulge it. "I think, for once, I might take you up on your offer."

Lucifer has posed:
"Excellent. I'll accept the first massage," Lucifer replies, with a deepened, relaxed laugh. He's found his way out of his angry explosion... he's already well ahead from this encounter.