Vessels and Trueforms

[tryingitall]

Balthazar lands on the terrace, taking the opportunity to set out the decorative baby pumpkins, as well as the larger one, and tracing a light preservation spell over them before heading inside. His Halloween shopping gets set on the kitchen counter, still in the bag. He's pretty casual about his surroundings sometimes, equally at home with tidiness and clutter. He seems to have brought in some additional groceries and drinks today, though, and these are put away in the pantry and refrigerator.

There's apple cider, for one thing, and a couple bottles of a golden-tinted auslese with a cornucopia on the label. He likes sweet wines.

This minimal labor done, he goes into the living room and flops onto the sofa, looking pensive. "Best to do this slowly, I think," he says to Lucifer. "I'll let him take control of the vessel for a bit before trying to separate. To talk to you, perhaps? I think he'll want to."

Comments

[the_rebel_son]

Lucifer brought the apples in and set the basket on the counter for the time being. He didn't particularly like clutter, though Lucifer wasn't much for possessions in general so he was still getting used to the materialistic qualities of his lover. Shopping without purpose still baffled him.

He goes to the couch sitting close, for now, placing a kiss on Balthazar's cheek before settling in to listen. Lucifer would move a little away when Levi came to the surface. It might be weird for the mortal to have the Devil up against him. He nods and smiles briefly. "I would like to talk to him."

Lucifer at the very least want to say thank you, though he had no idea how to approach it without sounding weird. Levi's willingness to be dormant had given him something that was out of the question until just a few months ago, was it months? It was hard to keep track of time.

[tryingitall]

Balthazar views all material possessions as toys, except for his art and art supplies. He doesn't need any of them--food and water included--to exist on the earth, but shopping, owning things, and enjoying things like clothing and meals and soft furniture fills up the time. Besides, it makes interacting with humans smoother sometimes, to acquire and discard and partake of pop culture.

If Lucifer is going to kiss his cheek, Balthazar will just steal a second kiss on the lips, close-mouthed and gentle so as not to derail their plans. "All right," he says softly. "I'll be able to hear you, of course. Give me a moment here..."

Sinking back into the couch cushions, he closes his eyes, almost as if meditating. There may be some internal dialogue going on. It takes a couple minutes, surprisingly, longer than one might expect, but at length there's a notable shift in body language. Where Balthazar carries himself with deliberate, indolent confidence, Levi droops a little, back not quite as straight, shoulders tired. His hands have a subtle shake and almost at once he's picking at the hem of the blazer's sleeve, not quite pulling out the stitches. He opens one eye, then the other, looking around at last, taking in the entirety of their surroundings with uncertain, soft blue eyes.

He clears his throat and glances at Lucifer rather timidly. "Uh...hey." Gone is the mishmash European-and-American accent Balthazar uses, replaced with Brooklyn and hints of a childhood in London. "I mean, hello."

[the_rebel_son]

"Take all the time you need."

Lucifer moves to the other side of the couch, not distant but far enough away to be comfortable for the waking human. Then he waits. There's no telling what is going on in the silence but Lucifer instantly picks up on the change in behavior. The nervousness softens Lucifer's disposition, not that it would be anything but gentle toward Levi to begin with.

"Hello, Levi." He's not sure how much has transpired or been said so he feels compelled to introduce himself. "I am Lucifer Morningstar, though I am not the one from where you and Balthazar originate."

Unwilling to overwhelm Levi he is willing to let him lead the conversation though his wings shift a little nervously. Seeing "Balthazar" acting so strangely is disquieting and an unexpected feeling. It's going to take time for Lucifer to adjust, longer than he had anticipated.

[tryingitall]

The unsteady hands are partly nerves, but also partly a symptom of where exactly Levi's health was when Balthazar met him. He was not doing well, drinking himself into an early grave and indifferent to it. Some side-effects linger.

He looks at Lucifer for a long moment, questioning and curious and surprisingly gentle for a human meeting the Devil for the first time. In truth, the nervousness he's feeling is less in regards to Lucifer than it is to the fact that he's in a whole new time and place. He's been updated, but knowing isn't the same as experiencing.

"He told me a lot about you," he says. "We used to talk a lot when I first let him in, and then he went back to Heaven and there was nothing for a long time. He started talking again after he found this place."

He's quiet for a moment, then adds, "It's weird, how you hear stories growing up, about what the world is like. What you're supposed to believe. None of it prepares you, though."

He offers a handshake. "Levi Gilman, but I guess you know that already, huh?"

[the_rebel_son]

As they continue to talk, Lucifer is starting to recognize that the shakes are more than nerves. Maybe that is something to offer to Balthazar and Levi, to heal whatever is wrong. The smile that creeps into Lucifer's expression in response to learning that Balthazar talks about him to his vessel is pleased with a shy quality to it.

"He talks about you, too." The angel confirms. "For some angels, getting away from Heaven can be the best thing for them."

He knew that was true for himself and many others he had met. Lucifer laughed quietly and shakes his head. "I understand the shock of reality and belief disengaging, perhaps more than most you will meet."

Learning the God you swore utter love and devotion to was a murdering tyrant surely had similar qualities He takes Levi's hand with out hesitation. "I do. He is very fond of you. He told me most of what I know about you the first day we met."

[tryingitall]

"Yeah, sounds like most of 'em are pretty screwed up where he comes from, honestly." That's something they've talked about extensively, but Levi's not sure whether he should go into the details right now.

His brows quirk a little at the shyness in Lucifer's smile. Speaking of unexpected. Despite the shaky hands, his handclasp is firm. His eyes search Lucifer's for a moment, and then he nods. "It's kinda fun sharing headspace with him sometimes. Knowing what he looks like to other people, but in here--" he taps his own temple. "--sometimes he's like a kid that's had too much candy. It's a whole new world out here."

He sits back a little and looks out at the terrace. "He's real excited about it, and I like that. I'm just not sure what my place is. I've been out of commission for a hundred years. It's nice that he wants to give me a chance to live again, but what the hell do I do with it?"

"I mean--sorry, I don't expect you to have that answer, either. Just, it's something that's on my mind."

[the_rebel_son]

"The angels in my heaven are no better, potentially worse." Though Levi is correct, this is not the time for the despair that is celestial angels and heaven.

"I see it." The affection is clear in his voice. "Those qualities are a big part of what attracted me to him when we first met."

Lucifer goes quiet eyes fixed on the man before him but the gaze is gentle and contemplative. Several moments pass before he speaks. "There is no need to apologize, we are here to talk. I do not have your answer to that question, but I have spent billions of years in a prison. I risked torture and death to find a way outside the doors. With that much at stake I have always believed in doing what sets your soul on fire. The rest will fall into place."

[tryingitall]

Levi smiles at Lucifer. "I'm honestly really glad for him. He gets so broke up about his own brothers and sisters--but I guess you know that. It's nice to see him get to be loved."

There's some sadness in his voice, as well as warmth. Either way, he's genuinely glad for Balthazar.

His expression sobers again as Lucifer looks at him like that, but he doesn't seem intimidated this time. Hard to be scared when he A) wasn't sure he believed in the devil in the first place and B) now that he's face to face with him, he's being gentle and compassionate. He nods at the encouragement, thinking it over.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm a painter. That's never gonna change. Can I ask you something?" He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. "You saw the painting of Bart, right? My...my man." My everything.

"Balthazar says his soul's in Heaven. He checked for me and everything. And when I die I'm supposed to go there, too. That's part of the deal, even if he's in trouble, that's not my fault. Only in Heaven, the human souls mostly don't share the same space. They relive their best memories forever, and that's nice and all, but we might not actually be together. I don't guess I'm in a rush to die right now, and it's good to know he's safe and taken care of, but it doesn't seem right. To be apart forever and not even know it."

He wrings his hands a little, between his knees. "Balthazar gets it. He tries not to think about it, but he gets it. But there's nothing he can do, especially now. He'd just get caught if he tried. I'm not asking for a favor or anything. Just advice, I guess."

[the_rebel_son]

He wonders if this human, or even Balthazar, understands just how much he's loved. "I think that is one of the benefits to my presence, beyond the obvious. The Fallen Angels I rule are more like him than they are like the angels from his own heaven. I think it lessens the hurt from his own siblings."

"I have seen the painting." Lucifer responds but he's completely unprepared for the rest of what is said. Lucifer's already incredibly pale or he would pale even more. The subject takes him by surprise and the pain is clear in his expression before he can bottle it away. This subject is so close to home, too close maybe. He briefly wishes he had a drink, or something. Lucifer's eyes drop, hand pushing his usual rogue strand of hair out of his face.

"I do not know." It's the only answer he can give. "Most of my lovers have been humans, but my God is not benevolent, at least not to them. Their souls are imprisoned and I hear them calling to me, always, but it is a place I cannot get to. I am not the only one they are separated from though, it is also the souls of their families and friends. They are condemned because I loved them, they loved me, both? All I can do is continue to look until I find a way to get to them."

Lucifer shrugged helplessly. He'd been looking for a way to get to Eve for centuries now. His own situation is blocked by his God, but Levi's... The pain is still there in his expression but deep thought is quickly replacing it. Lucifer, instinctively, puts his hand over Levi's because that is something he would do for Balthazar. It's hard for him to refrain from slipping into the mindset that this is his lover, especially since he can still feel him present even if he is quiet.

"If opportunity arises to retrieve Bart's soul there may be something I can do. It is not a favor, but a gift I would gladly give. You are the one who allowed me to find Balthazar. I do not know if I can ever repay that gratitude, but perhaps giving you the opportunity to be reunited with Bart would be a start."

[tryingitall]

Balthazar absolutely does not. Levi, on the other hand, grew up with a family. A mother, aunts and uncles, a sister that died young, unfortunately--he never knew his father, but stilln he was surrounded by examples of familial closeness. Balthazar has less of an idea how to be loved than he does how to love, and he doesn't even realize that.

Levi can tell he's brought up something painful at once, but it says a lot to him about Lucifer, the way he reacts. Grief and compassion, not anger at having a soft spot prodded unintentionally. If he had any doubt about this angel being good for Balthazar, it'd be gone now.

He catches his breath raggedly, looking utterly transfixed and empathetic. He doesn't mind being touched, putting his free hand on Lucifer's forearm gently. "I'm sorry," he says. "It's like...sounds like they're prisoners of war, kind of, between you and Heaven. But prisoners of war get to go home once the war is over."

It's the best hope he can offer, since he sure as hell doesn't have the power to make a difference there. It's strange to find something in common with the devil, maybe, but empathy is empathy.

He seems surprised by the thanks, blushing faintly, but his smile is deeply grateful. "I didn't know I was doing anything like that at the time I said yes, but I don't regret it. Especially not now. Thank you."

[the_rebel_son]

"We all are." Lucifer adds. "My lovers, the angels I rule, me... we are all prisoners of war and though Balthazar does not like the way it must end, it will end one day." There is the anger, just under the surface, boiling with injustice. Sooner rather than later Heaven would come down. The desire to tear down the throne in Heaven was on his mind more and more often recently. "The only way our war will end is to throw down God into ruin as he tried to do with me."

A faint smile returns to Lucifer's expression, his emotions calmed again. "That is the way of many things that truly matter. The action has consequences that are as beautiful as they are unexpected."

He hasn't pulled away from Levi though, hand still on his. Lucifer can't avoid affection for the man. Not only does he find him devastatingly attractive, but his soft blushing, the worry, and the deep love he bears are endearing. "I will have to speak to Balthazar and many other angels, but if it is in my power I will do what I can."

Sure, Lucifer could crash through the front door of Balthazar's Heaven and take the soul. It was unlikely any could stop him but he's certain Balthazar would not approve, especially if angels ended up injured.

[tryingitall]

"He might...understand, eventually, if you give him time," Levi says slowly. "Angels where you come from aren't exactly like where he comes from. I mean, obviously. We both know there are some background differences. He thinks of all of them as his siblings, from the archangels on down. Yours aren't like that."

He's quiet a moment, considering, then says, "I don't think he cares that much about your God, honestly. It scares him to hear you talk like that, but it's just because it goes against what he was told for millions of years. And also because it's dangerous for you, of course. I dunno, he'll get over it eventually. Angels like him, they're mostly more resilient than they give themselves credit for, as far as I can tell."

Levi may, in fact, have been more observant from his end of things than Balthazar gives him credit for. The angel has kept him anesthetized, effectively, and often sedated so as to spare him undue pain and confusion, but in a way that's enabled him to adapt to sharing his body with a second presence in a way most vessels don't get to develop. What's the difference between Nephilim and angels perfectly adapted to, and integrated with, their vessels? Not much, most likely, and that potential is there, whether Levi and Balthazar realize it or not.

The human smiles at Lucifer sheepishly and nods. "This is weird for me, you know? I didn't believe in God before and I didn't believe in a Devil, either. Joke's on me, maybe? But I know who my friends are when I see 'em, and I can see what's good for them. I'm glad you found him. He needs you."

And maybe Levi does, too, on some level.

[the_rebel_son]

"We are very different. I am not sure if Balthazar has explained the differences to you." The memories stirred up by Levi's comments quickly drain the anger away. "I am glad for his views on angels. Our heaven has brotherly connections but we are so fractured that it does not extend to the Fallen, nor from the Fallen to the Heavenly. The fallen, in general, once they settled over his celestial nature, have come to consider him one of our kin."

Balthazar's view on angels was something that Lucifer rarely praised but now he thought maybe he should. It was very important to him, to his happiness.

"I do not doubt his resilience. I am still not sure how I feel about explaining exactly what our war is like. It is something he should not have to think about, despite my involvement and the potential danger. I have not told him, yet, what is occurring."

However, the thoughts though brought a smile and he resolutely shook his head. "Balthazar does not give himself credit for many things. It is perhaps the only thing I find..." Lucifer paused, thoughtful and uncertain what to say. "...it frustrates me."

That was a big admittance for Lucifer. He probably would not be able to say that to Balthazar, despite knowing he could hear, it was easier to say ot with Levi's presence in the forefront.

"It is easier that you did not believe beforehand. I do not have to clash with prior beliefs. It can be challenging to have that discussion and remain on good terms." He hadn't realized he was glad for Levi's atheistic views until that moment when he thought about the ease of conversation. "I am glad that he decided to foolishly startle me. I have changed since we met, for the better I am sure."

[tryingitall]

"Not directly," Levi says. "But I pick up more things in the background than he thinks I do. It's rough being towed through the world by an immortal being, is the thing. He puts me to sleep a lot so I don't get shell-shocked. But sometimes when I do wake up I can kinda see the memories of what happened, like...like watching a television?"

TV wasn't a thing before he was picked up as a vessel, but he's seen enough to make the metaphorical connection at this point. "Maybe like watching reruns on a television." Shrug.

He's quiet a moment, sorting through Balthazar's thoughts on his own family and on Lucifer's, not sure if he has any insight to offer, or if he should offer it if he does. In the end, he decides to keep his mouth shut for now, but speak up later if the occasion calls for it. When Lucifer mentions his frustration, Levi tilts his head at him thoughtfully, and it's such a Balthazar gesture the lines between angel and vessel almost blur for a moment.

Then the man grins, and it's more like watching someone light up at the opportunity to tease his brother or best friend. "You just haven't hit the right topic to get him started. He's not as down on himself as it sounds like. Ask him about..."

He taps on his knee thoughtfully a second then says, "Ask him about that pocket dimension he built to keep Raphael and Virgil off Castiel's ass. Or about some of the weapons he made. He'll tell you the seraphs gave him the specs, which is true, but he wrote the spells and if you get him talking about those details he'll never stop. He's really good at his Enochian whatsit-stuff--magic, I guess. He knows it, he just got modesty knocked into his head a few too many times."

"Honestly he has some good war stories, too. Fighting with the shedim before the dawn of the human race. And he told me about training on the rings of Saturn with the other Ofanim when we first met, and I swear I could see it in my head. Rings in rings in rings."

Pause.

"Shit, you know, I meant to paint something like that and I never got around to it." Oh, look, his afternoon just got booked! It's like watching a spotlight click on focused on his face. Suddenly he's infused with the itch to paint. "I-if you guys are gonna go...do angel stuff, then I think I'll do some sketching. I'll let him back in, don't worry. He doesn't even have to ask, as far as I'm concerned."

[the_rebel_son]

Lucifer listened and could imagine what he meant. "We experience something similar through our telepathic connections. If the memory is intense the experience can be disorienting."

Lucifer sighed, exasperated when Levi starts listing what Balthazar would speak about. "His accomplishments and duties are not what frustrates me. I know he will speak about them with confidence."

And then Lucifer falls silent.It's more than frustration he's feeling and that is clear in his expression even if he's trying to maintain a poker face. Lucifer tries to explain himself but he doesn't have the words, or has them but can't get them out is more apt. The source of the emotions still makes him feel too vulnerable.

"The frustration is more personal." It's the best he can do for now and hopes the human understands.

The change of subject is welcome as it provides an opportunity to force the unpleasant emotions away.

"We did." Lucifer manages a bright smile, a little forced but genuine. " It is easy for angels, or for me after so long existing, to lose track of time. I was going to offer to introduce you to one of my court so you did not have to spend your time alone. Marquis Phenex is an archangel of art and served the angel of art and beauty when we still dwelt in heaven. I believe thier company may be advantageous to both of you."

Lucifer wasn't about to mention the other Angel's attraction to aiding artists who were depressed, lovesick, or suicidal but it seemed like a good choice even without that aspect.

[tryingitall]

Levi looks apologetic, although not at all intimidated by Lucifer's obvious discomfort. That's probably a good sign. Best he not be frightened of Lucifer. "Well. Maybe I should mind my own business, anyway. Let you two work it out."

He'd help if he could, but no matter how closely integrated he and Balthazar have been or might become, it's better to let the two most directly involved talk things over without playing at conflict mediation until asked. He reaches up and gives Lucifer's shoulder a friendly squeeze, anyway, and then sits back, happy to get caught up in the idea of painting.

The offer of company is apparently a huge relief. He takes a breath and nods eagerly. "Yeah, I...don't know if I'll be okay alone just yet. I mean, it's been a while. I was going to ask you to lock up the liquor cabinet. I should be okay with someone else here, though."

He's admittedly curious about Phenex, as well, as soon as Lucifer describes them and their role. "I'd like that. A lot. Thanks."

[the_rebel_son]

Lucifer smiles a little and nods. It is definitely a topic that Levi really couldn't do anything for and probably shouldn't be involved in. He's appreciative of the show of comfort though. He was sure the other angel would come around at some point. He was just impatient with the situation because it was painful and riled up his anger sometimes, though not at Balthazar. The anger had a vague 'whomever caused this needs beaten' feel and it was that lack of target that made it worse.

"Phenex will not allow you to do anything harmful. Though fallen, some of us still serve as guardian angels. Phenex is among those who have chosen that path."

"When the time comes I will summon them, provided Balthazar has no qualms about a strange angel being here with you." Lucifer remembered Balthazar being uncomfortable with Azazael just showing up and didn't want that to happen again. It was courtesy and respect for his lover's domain.

[tryingitall]

There may actually be a select few angels of his own world Balthazar would allow Lucifer to rough up--though he'd be upset if he actually killed them, so it's best not to risk it. Specifically, Michael, Raphael, and the other Lucifer would be more or less fair game, and Michael even more so than the other two.

"I don't think 'fallen' means the same thing to you that it does in his world," Levi comments with a little smile, and nods. There's a moment where he looks like he's listening, and then he laughs and shakes his head.

"He says if I'm going to cavort about the apartment with other angels he wants pictures. I don't think I've cavorted since I was in my twenties. He doesn't mind."

Levi gets up slowly, making sure he's safe to stand on his own--it's been a century since he's tried, after all--and stretches, joints popping. "I think it'd be better if I go on to the studio? Once he leaves me, he can't stay in one place long. He says he'll meet you at the river and you can decide where you're going from there."

[the_rebel_son]

"No, I do not think it does." Lucifer confirms.

"Cavorting is a possibility. They do have a weakness for artists." Lucifer laughed quietly. "I would be careful. Phenex has a way of seducing others without trying. They are quite beautiful."

Lucifer didn't say that about many angels, but there was a softness to the other angel that could lure people surely as his charisma could.

"I will meet him as soon as you are settled here, Levi." Lucifer nodded and called to Phenex while he waited for the other two to do whatever was necessary to separate. He could bring his artisan to the studio when they arrived.

[tryingitall]

"Hey, good news for me, then!" Levi's rakish grin is another place where he and the angel within him blend together. It seems entirely possible Balthazar learned that expression from him in the first place. "Guess if I'm going to cavort with angels at all I may as well set up a dance card and start filling it in. I'll save you a spot. You want a waltz or a two-step?"

He's being silly on purpose, but he hasn't missed the look he's gotten from Lucifer, either. He will always pine for Bart Delaney, but a world where he can paint at leisure and there are beautiful people around him who don't look down on who he is or where he came from is a pretty good best-case scenario.

It'll take work, but he could be happy here.

He slips into the studio confidently--it's set up exactly the way his was, once, chaos with a deceptive hidden order to it. Lucifer will probably feel the shift of energies in the room as Balthazar leaves, and anyone watching would see the sudden upwelling of white-gold light as the angel disentangles himself from Levi's body and departs. For a split second there's a trail of fire in the sky above the building, visible through the terrace window. It's only a glimpse; Lucifer will have to wait until he gets to the river to see the entirety of Balthazar's true shape, but the glow of him is like a miniature sun.

[the_rebel_son]

Lucifer grins, impish and matching the playful tone. "I prefer the tango if you are offering."

While Levi and Balthazar take care of themselves, Phenex arrives on the balcony, adding more fire and sparks to all the bright light. He takes a moment to explain the situation before taking them back to the studio.

"Levi?" Lucifer spoke as he came in. An artist would need the warning before a spirit of art joined them. It could be overwhelming.

The angel with him is tall, though not quite as tall as Lucifer, and snow white in eyes, hair and skin. It's the wings though, shifting through colors like a mood ring that was considered the truest beauty of this angel. In the excitement of meeting an artist important to Lucifer the current colors are bright reds, lilacs, and calm pale blues. This angel has a beauty like a classic marble statue, stately and perfect. Phenex is dressed in crimson though whether thier attire is a lose fitting dress or tailored robe it is hard to say. The movement of the angel fit the ambiguity of the dress. Neither wholly female nor male.

"Phenex, this is Levi Gilman." Lucifer made the introduction and the other angel waited politely, though thier smile is bright.

[tryingitall]

Levi laughs and nods his acceptance, but honestly Lucifer would have to teach him the Tango first.

When the angels come in, Lucifer is likely to notice in short order that the artist looks a bit smaller than he did a couple minutes ago. Smaller, a bit paler, and his hands are no steadier. His body language is the same otherwise, though, and he's carefully going through a set of charcoal sticks, blowing dust off the pieces and shaking it out of the chamois cloth at the bottom of the box. He glances up with a welcoming smile, but his expression shifts when he catches sight of Phenex.

That's probably to be expected. The show of light and color is more than a little engaging, and combined with the general androgynous beauty of the angel's face and body it hits Levi like a freight train. He forgets to breathe for a few seconds, then has a brief coughing fit when he remembers he need to do so, and goes pink. "Ah, s-sorry! I have manners, I swear, I've just forgotten them."

He stands up, trips slightly, catches himself on the edge of the desk, and then, after a breath, manages to master himself once more. There's a second where he's visibly pulling himself together, and then he offers Phenex a handclasp. "Er. Marquis, yes, hello. It's..."

He probably means to say 'nice to meet you' but forgets the words somewhere between brain and mouth. "You're...more than welcome to come in and...I think there's another chair under those blank canvases."

If Phenex is sensitive to the kind of artist Levi is and has long been, they are likely to notice the physical damage to his liver and vascular system caused by drinking, which has been largely mitigated by Balthazar's presence but the scars linger. But there is also a part of his very soul that hungers for and rejoices in beauty, and has ever since he was born. They're likely to get along wonderfully.

[devilsphoenix]

Phenex has often seen this response and knows to wait, or be there to catch someone who truly fumbles. Even so, the angel is softly admiring of the impact. The reaction between angel and artist is one that causes Phenex's presence to brighten both visually and spiritually.

"Phenex, or some call me Songbird." There is a glance at Lucifer that suggests he is the origin of the affectionate nickname.

They take Levi's hand and place a kiss on his cheek in greeting. "The pleasure is mine."

With the kiss and thier presence comes an unburdening calm. It is thier effect on one of their own, though how that ability effects an artist differs greatly. They can feel the damage, and like Lucifer have the same inclination to heal the scarring, but that is a discussion for another time. For now, it is time to get to know one another.

[tryingitall]

The general feeling of being overwhelmed and made silly by the angel's presence lingers, and is mildly embarrassing, but there's a sense of safety even in the awkwardness. If anyone were going to judge him for being clumsy, it's not this angel. A bit like screwing up in front of a trusted teacher. No big deal; no one else would understand a well-meaning mistake so well.

Probably not Lucifer either, honestly. "Phenex," he repeats sheepishly, although Songbird will linger in his brain now. There's a little burst of mental images, the frisson of energy that often precedes a storm of creative output as the idea of birds with snow-white beaks and rainbow wings dances through his head.

The kiss is highly unexpected, but the calm it brings is helpful. There is such a thing as artistic frenzy, and it's likely that without that calming effect, a being like Phenex could spark that by their mere presence. Instead, Levi takes a breath, eyes closing for a moment, and then smiles, visibly recovered.

"You know, I haven't had a chance to sketch in years, but I haven't eaten on my own power in just as long. Do you mind if I make cocoa and cookies? I'll share, of course."

And then they can get down to the business of making art. There's no question in the human's mind that that's on the agenda.

[devilsphoenix]

"It's a shame that the king has left. He is a splendid cook." Phenex comments. Lucifer had, indeed, disappeared without warning but once he saw the two were comfortable he felt like a third wheel... and honestly had somewhere he would much rather be. "I do not mind and will join you if you wish."

They are utterly calm and placid, more like how angels are described than Lucifer or the others who were relatively brash, fiery, unpredictable. They moved out of the room but waited in the hall for the human to join them.

"Lucifer mentioned that you are a visual artist. Do you do more than painting and sketching?" No one had to tell Phenex which pieces of art in the studio belonged to Levi. There were marks upon them of their creator that they could trace, feel in the presence of the pieces even if they remained hidden in their safe spaces.

[tryingitall]

"I think he has a date," Levi comments wryly, although not without a fleeting thought that it's interesting that a king can cook so well.

"Anyway, I used to know my way around a kitchen, but it's been about a century." He approaches slowly, still a little sheepish in the angel's presence, but content to lead the way up the hall and to the kitchen. He knows the layout of this apartment well enough. He's seen it through his own eyes, with Balthazar operating his body, many times.

"I'm mostly a painter," he says, "but I've dabbled in other things. I can carve wood and stone, but I get impatient with it. Clay is better, but sometimes i feel like I need the color to make my brain work right. I was good with glass, believe it or not, but I never had enough space for my own equipment, and working with someone else would've meant making what they told me to make. Couldn't make myself do it."

[devilsphoenix]

"I would call it more than a date. Lucifer hasn't let many see him since we fell." Phenex had been lucky enough to see him once when he was speaking to God while he remained in his heavenly splendor. It had nearly taken the angel's sight, but worth it.

The angel followed colors in their wings shifting into yellows with the rising curiosity about the artist. "I don't know how long you have been asleep but there are colored clays now. Perhaps we should venture out to an artists' store while they are away?"

Phenex didn't even know if they were aware of all the current human art supplies. It would be interesting to browse. "I prefer watercolor, chemistry, and gemstones when I have a choice, but I find all of the arts and sciences appealing in their own right."

[the_rebel_son]

Once Levi and Phenex are settled in with each other, Lucifer flies off to the river. He can't expose himself here with the trees and all the flammable things. However, the ocean front, if truly empty would be a better buffer against the conflagration that was Lucifer when he was exposed.

Balthazar wouldn't be hard to find. Lucifer could already home in on his presence when he was bundled up in Levi. This should be significantly easier.

[tryingitall]

Balthazar is a beacon. He's gone to the widest part of the river and stayed high above the treeline, burying his searing light in the clouds to protect accidental passers-by. His best efforts at care have nevertheless sent wildlife fleeing as if from a forest fire, but the power of the Nexus means he has at least caused no harm. Just a few frights.

He’s quite bad at being still in trueform, though he’s able to stay in roughly the same spot as he waits for Lucifer to catch up, spinning and circling and fluttering in the air, like a meteor that has no intention of landing anytime soon, thank you very much, this atmosphere is lovely. There is a sound that accompanies his motions, as well, something like the quiet whoosh right before a firework goes screaming into the sky and bursts into dazzling sparks. He is not a star nor a shedder of light, but he is most certainly a flame of joy.

He is able to expand or contract the rings of this shape, and he has them pulled down to the most convenient size he can manage when Lucifer arrives, but that is still quite large, the diameter of a large carousel rather than the span of the London Eye. Still, that should be enough to appreciate his shape, as he peeps out from behind a cloud, somehow conveying a coy look even without human features. He is a series of rings, of course, a swoop of semi-corporeal light and smoke and iridescent red-gold vapor, glittering like a cut fire opal in the light of the sun and his own energies. Eyes hover in the haze of color and flame, studding the rings—sometimes there are two rings, sometimes six, sometimes just the one, but there are always thousands, tens of thousands, of eyes, singly and in matched pairs and groups.

Many are humanoid, in every shade possible for mortal people: brown, blue, hazel, caramel, green, sable, black. Others are animal eyes of every description, from hawk to doe to frog to octopus. There is even a pair of shimmery compound eyes that flicker at Lucifer as they slide past, very clearly modeled after a butterfly’s. His wings, too, are dotted with eyes of every description, but here the eyes are more organized, laid out in lines like peacock feathers.

And his wings, well, he never seems to have more than four on any given ring, but they come and go in a dizzying rush, enough speed and motion and color to make a human sick or temporarily insane, but they are tawny-gold, like sun on a field of ripe wheat, and the feathers are curly, absurdly curly at the bases in a way that would make them impossible to fly with if he were required to obey the laws of physics. Somehow the curls and the glittery gold of his eyelashes soften the raging-fire effect of the rest of him and make him look playful. Glory with a giggle.

That, and suddenly without Levi’s body around him, it’s clear he’s much younger than Lucifer. Not a child, by angelic standards, but still boyish.

“Boo!” he says, as if Lucifer’s caught him at hide and seek, and laughs. His usual accent somehow carries over to his celestial voice, even if the power of it is enough to make the trees below shiver. “Shall we find the ocean? It’s only a few miles downriver, we’ll be there in a flash.”

[the_rebel_son]

It takes Lucifer time to get to Balthazar because every time there is a flash of the other angel between the clouds he gets transfixed, hovering and staring. It takes a few glimpses before it doesn't stop him in his tracks. The fires raging beneath the illusions are fighting to get free now and that slows his progress until he can mediate the pull between his still contained presence and the exposed angel before him.

The boo though has Lucifer laughing. His reaction is to fly up against one of Balthazar's wings, almost like a cat rubbing against someone's legs. "I did not think you could be more beautiful. I see I have been proven wrong."

He doesn't respond to the question, only flashes the nearest set of eyes a playfully inviting smile and takes off down stream. All angels are fast but Lucifer, when given to do so, redefined the very concept of velocity and acceleration. In his own creation there was nothing that could outpace his flight, but he didn't wait knowing full well the other angel would give chase.

There was a reason he flew so fast, to give himself a moment of control without the other angel's presence threatening to yank down the entirety of his illusions in one motion. He needed moderation. Even in seclusion he was far above the ground. By the time Balthazar has arrived many of those illusions are faded and Lucifer has centered himself about two-thirds of the way exposed and at a size on par with the other angel's choice. He reasoned that was about as much of his wing presence Balthazar could view while in Levi so it was a good starting point.

Unlike Balthazar, Lucifer retained a vaguely humanoid presence though hazy and shifting like a mirage on a hot desert road in the blazing noon sun. The edges of his presence simply fade out to seemingly merge with the universe around him. It leaves no clear definition between angel and creation, though in this world that is not his own creation, a very astute observation would see an ending. He's bright, flaring and fiery.

Even dimmed, a love on par with that of God is there in the brightness of his body, old and eternal and unending. The light is the light that split the darkness at the beginning of all things, purer than any other to be seen, as if someone could look back in time and gaze upon the start of all things. He is the manifestation of the spark that forced creation to start. White would not do it justice, it is hotter, brighter, and somehow so pale and soft that it dazzles. There in the center of his presence is the creative force, still subdued, but resplendent with a love as great as that of God himself. The passion streaming from that center could only be described as seeing all the varied emotions simultaneously swirling in a visible form, in a tumultuous blend of white shades that shouldn't be possible, certainly didn't exist in the visible world.

His wings are immense. In his mortal form his wings were oddly large for his body size, visible as he is that ratio is exaggerated. Feather likes fires in glittering streams of color created a halo around him like a crazily spinning kaleidoscope that radiated comforting heat. Even with the missing pair of lower wings the color stretched out in all directions shifting as his wings moved to keep him airborne. His wings were the fires that manifested what his will created, the raw power of creation. It was the reason they had tried to cut them all off during the Fall. A black mark stretched through his presence, the void left by the missing wings of his lower back. Stark darkness against the blinding light.

He still has a face, eyes dark black with some color in them but what color was hard to tell. Blue perhaps but so dark it was indistinguishable from black. His eyes showed the age. If one could imagine staring into infinity where time, matter, and existence was yet to exist that was there in his eyes.

Balthazar causes a significant shift in Lucifer, a pull on the other angel, magnetic and a little frantic. This exposed little buffers his desires and the world around him. There's focus in the presence, the adoration that permeated his being focused down on the other angel. It couldn't be stopped. If there was no way to hide his love before, now the power of that affection, the all encompassing nature of it, is on full display.

"Hello, butterfly." His voice was purely angelic, forceful and rippling through the air around him. Life responded to it, plant life greening and the clouds billowing to start a rainstorm in the near future. Lucifer was three parts in a way. The creative force at the center, the power of creation radiating through the wings and the voice which formed it into shape.

[tryingitall]

Maybe Lucifer will be gratified to find that at last, this time, Balthazar has no words of protest or will to shrug off the compliment. Whether it’s because of overhearing the conversation with Levi or some other reason, all he does is glow and curl his wing closer around the other angel, presence radiating with pleased laughter. It’s hard, it’s counterintuitive, and it will take him a long while to really shake it off, but when it comes down to it, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying being enjoyed, is there?

The Ofan takes off after Lucifer, and he probably does a better job keeping up than most other angels would, but no, he has no chance of competing. He doesn’t mind, either; they both know where they will be ending up, and they both have a pretty clear idea what they’ll be doing there. For the moment there’s nothing but happy anticipation in Balthazar’s mind. All is right with the world. This world, at least. His own can wait.

From a long distance away, there’s a chance some of the citizens of the Nexus will catch an inkling of this display. Strange occurrences happen here and there in the Nexus. Some days there will be flying whales in the sky overhead, or the ether will be a soft green instead of blue. Sometimes huge mushrooms grow between trees in the woods, or elk the size of dinosaurs go tearing down the mountainsides in the Wilds. Light beyond light in the sky is bound to be noteworthy, but at least no one will be harmed, and no one will cower anticipating the end of the multiverse. They’re a safe distance from everything.

Balthazar remembers the gleam on the primordial sea when he was newly-born. Stars whirling in a purple sky overhead, moments of breathless wonder where even the funny little bacteria pulling themselves apart to make ever more of themselves were of such exquisite beauty he almost couldn’t bear the joy of watching them. He was a mirror, once; all the Ofanim were. When there was no war, only creation; they reflected back the delight of everything they saw.

The moment he comes into view of Lucifer, he is that mirror once again, and he can feel the light permeate every last part of him. Light, morning—the morning of the universe itself--dawn of consciousness and the accompanying awe of the realization that one exists.

His hurtling gait across the sky slows. Time is a funny thing; it keeps events in order and that’s nice and all, but sometimes it pushes you past something before you’re done with it. Balthazar wants it to slow down, ease up, and give him a chance to take in what’s before him. There is too much of Lucifer to see, but not too much to feel. His wings stretch wider, though he closes some of his eyes, and he just glides, letting the inexorable bond pull them closer and closer together.

He thinks he understands something now, in the face of this fountain of untamed passion and devotion. Of course a being made up so completely of love would be upset to hear him call himself unworthy of adoration. It’s like putting up a wall between them.

For the life of him, Balthazar can’t come up with words to say in response to that greeting, but he reaches, silent except for the fireworks-whoosh sound of his wings, his essence, and curls himself around the other angel as tightly as he can.

[the_rebel_son]

If only Lucifer knew the other angel was finally understanding. However, he doesn't have the mind for any of those thoughts right now. All of his senses are locked on the angel drifting toward him. Lucifer had always found creation beautiful, all of it, but this was different. He couldn't place it other than relate it to the rightness he felt when he first stepped into creation, separating the dark with his own light. There was a rightness to the touch of the angel as it wrapped around him.

Lucifer wasn't as solid, more energy than matter. In Balthazar's embrace he flows in to fill up the space around the wings, between the feathers, yearning to touch every part of the angel. This kind of closeness, that he couldn't get when he masqueraded in a more mortal form, lead to some of his extreme lust. There was always need for a closeness just out of his reach, though touching and blending Graces relieved some of it.

The brightness of Lucifer sighs with the contact, content and calm for once. He slowly brightens allowing more of his presence to show through. With the light comes more warmth and a pulse of emotion. Contact with Balthazar's true form solidified the intense love and devotion Lucifer already felt. And then his essence simply started to flow, moving and fluttering against the other angel. It's not quite sexual but sensual and erotic. He just hangs there, pressing as close as he can to Balthazar. Cursed with the sins as he was the mortal yearnings attached to them didn't fade with the shedding if his mortal form.

[tryingitall]

They're a drumbeat, and a melody; something primal and overwhelming being echoed and soothed and embraced by something softer and newer but bright and warm in its own right. They fit together. They fit, and Lucifer can probably feel the shock of joy Balthazar feels with that realization.

Balthazar is a strange, almost quantum blend of matter and energy, multidimensional and strung together with threads of Grace and intention. There is space between his feathers, in the center of his rings; he could wrap himself around Lucifer at this size and still be wrapped within Lucifer.

He's knit Grace with a few other angels before. It's the most intimate sensation he can imagine; closeness beyond sexual intercourse. This, though--this is even more so. He feels like he's melting into Lucifer, the edges of the two of them blurring and blending together. We fit.

Whatever sense of smallness or unworthiness he may feel at times, here and now he casts it aside. How can he not, in the face of so much love? This is everything he's ever wanted.

[the_rebel_son]

He is primal, and as he continues to reveal himself in tiny increments that will become ever more true. He needs the soothing and the brightness after all the hurt and darkness that has threatened to tear him apart. They fit in so many ways but the surge of joy and his own echo of happiness and affection gives the notion weight.

Lucifer hadn't had words for it, and now that they were this close, his mind is back on the incredible pull he had felt when they first met. It had felt like madness the way the feelings crashed on him, nearly drowning him and certainly overwhelming his common sense. As Balthazar blended with him the pull made sense, then and now. Maybe he had known, down deep inside the way they would fit together?

Lucifer responds to the undeniable way they fit with a cry from deep inside. Behind all the love and fire, there's so much pain. Eons of wanting to be more than a tool someone used, to be something others were truly happy with, to be treated like he wasn't something broken beyond repair or worth. The closeness is exposing all the frayed and unhealed edges where the love between Lucifer and God had once existed. However, Lucifer doesn't linger on the pain. Instead his large pair of wings wrap around Balthazar and happiness floods his presence. He's never been as grateful for anything as he is for finding the angel in his embrace.