deviant alert: proceed with caution

[patisse]

[Retrieving the body from Canaan had been the easy part. Now the waiting game begins, and that part in and of itself won't be so difficult either—it's transitioning into the next phase that'll be tricky. For now, though, it's the time to play babysitter.

A fallen angel, the attendant to a crippled primarch? How ironic and tedious. Guess he's not done sweating and straining just yet.

Descending the stairway of the abandoned abode in which he's taken up residence, Belial makes his way to the spot where the comatose body rests. As ever, that perfect face looks perfectly at peace.]

Still asleep? For someone who used to be a big shot, you're sure taking your time.

[A primal that has entered its dormant state may take years to recuperate; however, this is Lucifer. Belial doesn't doubt that Lucilius' prized creation will spring back much more quickly than his inferior brethren. It isn't that sooner would be better than later, but more that that's just the way it will be.]

Comments

[patisse]

Oh, I don't know. What ever happened to that interior decoration gig? I'm no twin, but you can treat me as your go-between with the rest of the world. All you have to do is tell me what you need.

[Will Belial get it? Probably not. But he might get a thing once in a while, just to keep their interactions interesting. Only thing is, Lucifer already seems so rebellious about acquiescing to his light-hearted demands. Who'd have thought?]

[supremo]

[s t o p]

The only one I'm interacting with, then, is you.

[Does that really count as "interacting with the world"... Sounds disappointing, really. Anyway, he doesn't want anything from him and he never did.]

[patisse]

It doesn't have to be a person to qualify as an interaction, you know.

[Although that's a moot point even with him. Archangels aren't exactly people.]

Would you rather that I left you here by yourself?

[Probably, yeah.]

[supremo]

I don't recall asking for your company.

[In other words, yes, that would be ideal. He'll respond to his "offer" properly now.]

Regardless, I do not require anything from you. I'm sure this won't be too much of a problem.

[Wouldn't it be better if he didn't "have" to bring him anything? Though he's not sure why he'd bother to begin with.]

[patisse]

[Being too polite can be rude, Lucifer. It's no problem, to be sure; however, that's boring and Belial doesn't care for that more than having to fly between islands.]

All right, so you don't need anything. But is there something that you want?

[supremo]

[He wants him to go away, but he accepts that's probably never gonna happen. Besides that... Hmm.]

Something to read, perhaps.

[That was something he didn't need, something he could absolutely live without, but probably wouldn't be offended if Belial "just happened" to pick it up. Probably.]

[patisse]

[Wow, he actually bit? Color Belial surprised.]

A book? Okay. Have a preference for the genre? There are all kinds of stories and literature, you know.

[More than he knows about, so he wouldn't be able to help. Belial's still got a fair bit to learn about the skydwellers and their culture.]

[supremo]

I haven't read many books written by skyfarers. [He'd never needed to. Between the Astrals' research and his own observations, he knew everything he'd ever needed to know. So...] Surprise me.

[He didn't think Belial would go through the trouble to look for and acquire anything specific, anyway, so he'll keep his "demands" simple for both their sakes.]

[patisse]

[That's nothing to be ashamed of, Lucifer. Belial hasn't read anything, either! He prefers physical demonstrations.]

Oh, I will.

But color me curious. What kind of books have you read?

[supremo]

[lewd]

Research and historical accounts, to see how skydwellers document such things.

[And that's... pretty much it.✨]

[patisse]

[You're lewd (no, you're not, and that's the problem). Belial chuckles mirthlessly.]

That's just like you. Rest assured, I won't bring you anything like either of those. Didn't you ever get tired of watching the skydwellers' primitive ways?

[Certain aspects of their culture are fascinating, to be sure. But no matter how hard and long they try, the skydwellers simply won't catch up to the Astrals.]

[supremo]

Whether I "got tired" of it or not is irrelevant. It was the purpose for which I was created.

[It had never been a matter of what he wanted or didn't want, what he liked or disliked. He wasn't created to— have feelings about those sorts of things.]

[patisse]

[Oh, here they go again.]

Yeah, but have you ever thought about it? Any given task is that much better when you enjoy doing it.

[supremo]

It wasn't something I disliked doing. [It wasn't his favorite thing to do, especially compared to other things, but he didn't dislike it, either. Although...] If I were to be honest, I would admit that I was looking forward to retiring from my role.

[So, you know, thanks for throwing a wrench in that plan.]

[patisse]

[Listen, it wasn't Belial who chopped off those wings.]

Aren't you retired now? Your wings have gone, and you've passed on your power . . . What more is there to want?

[He can guess.]

[supremo]

[Flatly:]

Spending the rest of my life here with you is not exactly ideal.

[It could absolutely be worse, he realizes. But this still really, really sucks. He wasn't going to be grateful that he was "just" being held captive.]

[patisse]

[For a circumstance that is oozing with "sucks," why has Lucifer not yet learned the art? This is why neither of them has nice things.]

Heh, you're not the only one. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

[supremo]

[Ah, yes, the desperate times and measures he won't tell him about.]

I'm certain. Yet, you remain here of your own accord.

[No one was making him stay. It wasn't like he needed to stay to prevent Lucifer from leaving—there was nowhere he could go in the first place. As far as Lucifer could tell, there was no reason for him to remain in his presence...

Besides to be obnoxious.]

[patisse]

[That'd spoil the surprise.]

Is it wrong of a primarch to seek the company of the supreme primarch?

[This is not what he said earlier—]

[supremo]

You seemed to feel otherwise just a moment ago.

[It's funny how Belial starts to seem vaguely tolerable for two seconds and then immediately turns it all around.]

[patisse]

[It's a gift. He shrugs.]

This and that are different. As much of a cold shower as you are, I can't seem to stay away.

[Well, that's for a specific reason, but Lucifer doesn't need to know it yet.]

Maybe it's the face.

[supremo]

[Why... is he Like This.......

Lucifer holds back a sigh, but his words are none-too-polite, regardless.]

It sounds like you're the one with the problem here.

[patisse]

[He was born this way.]

You flatter me. But that makes me wonder . . . What is this to you, if not a problem?

[Belial motions to the walls around them.]

[supremo]

An inconvenience. [It's an easy answer—he doesn't even have to think about it.] I don't want to be here, but neither is there somewhere that I need to be.

[Having passed on his role, he didn't exactly have prior engagements or responsibilities to worry about at this point. There were things he wanted to see to, for sure, but nothing that he had to see to, either. He had left things with Sandalphon for a reason.]

[patisse]

[Didn't he address this earlier? Trust Lucifer to be so painfully rational, such a model tool.]

You know, you have this nasty habit of burying your wants with needs. Are you aware of that?

[Most people are upfront about what they want—not that they're people, but thus far he's had to pull the wants (that aren't of Lucifer's grousing about being here) out like teeth. Perhaps some self-reflection is in order.]