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Passengers: Lucifer + Theo; Lucifer + Grace; Lucifer + y o u
Location: Greenhouse; conservatory; the vicinity of the gym; others by request
Date: Mid-March
Summary: Lucifer needs to explain himself to Theo; Grace is gonna talk (!?!?!) to Lucifer; Lucifer kills time while a nefarious plan executes; others by request
Warnings: Uhhhhhh none yet I'll edit if necessary

1. Theo, in the greenhouse

Lucifer doesn't feel relief at having the inmates switched out - on the contrary, he feels as if he failed Theo during their last session, and he needs to figure out how to fix it. Theo, he knows, is basically terrified of him, and will avoid him pretty much at all costs until or unless he corners the boy somewhere.

Obviously the best place to corner him is the greenhouse. And - indeed, there he is.

"Learn anything new lately?" he opens up with, keeping his voice light.

2. Grace (or anyone else?), in the observatory (OTA)

There really aren't many places on a space ship that are good for stretching one's wings - especially when your wingspan is like ten feet. The observatory is one of the few places for it, so when he finds himself with a cramp one night, he slips in, standing in front of the big window, gazing out at the stars as he rolls his shoulders and unfurls them. They're not just big - they actually glow faintly, with their own light in the dim room, though Lucifer's face twists in a slight wince as he stretches the right one out a bit, working the kink out of it.

That's when he spots someone, reflected faintly in the glass.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you there," he says automatically.

3. Near the gym (OTA)

After the elevator doors close, Lucifer meanders back in the direction of the gym. He looks a little self-satisfied, his jacket off, he sort of slings it over his shoulder cheerily.

Inmates who approach him will be asked if they'd like access to the gym. A warden may be asked if they'd like a spar. "Why not? I'm here for a while."

[ ooc: as always if you want to do something with Lucifer but none of these prompts work for you, ping me over at

frodabaggins or PM this journal. I can do prose or brackets, whatever you prefer. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's only because you didn't wind up with lover's kiss all over your hands.

[ He didn't sleep for almost a week, which was... hoo boy.

Anyway. Lucifer's hands are currently in his pockets, and he just sort of glances around at all the plants. Theo can certainly leave, if he wants to. There's nothing stopping him. ]

I owe you an apology, for our last session.

I did say "most".

[The plant in front of him is a plain looking thing, with long thin blue leaves. He flicks one idly, doing anything to not look at Lucifer. Theo tenses the mention of an apology.]

No, it's-- Don't. You don't have to.

I think I do, though. I pushed you, too hard, too fast, and it did neither of us any good.

[ His eyebrows go up a bit, as though to ask am I wrong? ]

Just another day on the job though, right?

[He doesn't want to acknowledge an apology. Doesn't that mean he'd have to do the same, then? Sorry for being an absolute train wreck of a human being who's terrified of you. No, apologies means wardens win. Theo struggles with what to say next, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.]

It's just-- This whole place is just. A lot. Too much. All of it.

[ Lucifer did not expect an acknowledgment of his apology - let alone one in return. That would've required a lot more self-examination than Theo is capable of right now. And it's not why he did it, anyway.

Sometimes, you do things because they're the right thing to do, whether you get credit for them or not. ]

What do you think you'd need, for this place to be less so?

[ He's curious how Theo will answer that, because it's clear that it's not this place that's too much for him. This place is comfortable, sees to all his needs, and is actually pretty cushy. No, what's too much for the boy is all in his head, Lucifer suspects.

Sometimes, the things in your head are the worst, and loudest, and hardest to deal with. ]

[Theo has it so much better here than he did back home for most of his life. A secure roof over his head, meals, plumbing, clothing, a bed. No dealing with scrounging through the trash, no vermin or fleas, no toiling in a factory, no having to fight on the streets simply for daring to exist.

These comforts aren't lost on him. Especially not since he started hatching his escape plan. So, of course, he can't seem to find a good answer to that question.]

I need-- [To not be here.] I don't know. Okay? I don't know.

[Getting off the Peregrine was the only way he could outrun the skeletons in his closet. Otherwise his past would continue to hover over him like a storm cloud forever.]

[ Lucifer nods. That strikes him as a pretty honest answer, all things considered. The only other answer he was expecting to get was to not be here. Theo may think not being here would somehow be better. It wouldn't, of course, because again - being here isn't really the problem.

But he won't be inclined to listen if Lucifer tells him that. It's something he'll likely have to figure out on his own, one way or another. So he just accepts the answer given, and glances around. ]

If you figure it out, there are people here who will help you make it happen. I know you don't believe that, but it's true.

[The tapping of his fingers on the table gets faster while Lucifer talks, and when he's done, Theo makes a move that seems like he's about to get up and leave. He stays put, though. Instead, he turns off his comm and sets it down from its stand. He was done in here for today.

Looking a little lost in his own thoughts, he shakes his head lightly. His voice quiet, sounding more like he's speaking to himself.]

I just don't see how.

Maybe you're not thinking outside the box enough. After all, you got pulled not just from death, but from your entire world. You don't think it's possible for you to do good, somewhere, for someone? In the whole, vast multiverse? Everyone can do good, Theo, just as much as everyone can do bad.

[Theo finally turns to look at Lucifer, his expression earnestly mystified. Maybe not what Lucifer was expecting. Theo is so baffled by this idea that he blurts out his next statement.]

Where? Where am I going? No one on Earth fuckin' wanted me, why would some other planet?

[ Lucifer raises his eyebrows. ]

Anywhere you want to go. Literally anywhere. Or - you could stay right here. If it's people who care about you that you want.

[No. He just can't let himself believe that. If no one back on Earth cared, why would these people who were doing this as a job, who just met him two months ago, ever really care?]

Anywhere. Yeah. I guess it doesn't matter. It'll all be the same, then.

It matters when you make it matter, Theo. It'll be different when you choose differently.

[ He shakes his head. ]

When you do something for another person, that matters. When you're faced with a choice, to help or to hurt, that choice matters.

[ He points at the plants. ]

Helping collect those flowers, on that planet? That mattered. Someone's life is better because we did that. Next time, choose to help, and see what matters. See how you can matter.

[Now he's starting to feel lectured. To think that Theo Crawford would ever get tired of talking about himself, but it's starting to get that way. He huffs and runs a hand down his face, struggling to keep that temper in check. Later he'll wonder why he was trying so hard.]

Okay. [Quietly:] Okay. I get it.

I hope so. We'll find out, sooner or later. There are always more choices to make.

[ He says that, totally earnest. He means it - he really hopes Theo thinks about what he said, next time he's offered a choice. ]

Maybe the next planet we visit will have more healing plants. Or ones that make you see purple elephants, those are fun.

Mm. [He looks over at the plant he had been trying to identify.] Anything's better than nameless blue weeds, I guess.

Have you tried eating one?

[ What? Just put it in your mouth. Pfft. ]

[That gets a raised eyebrow. Sounds exactly what his mentor would have suggested.]

What? How dumb do I look? You eat one.

[ Lucifer looks baffled. Dumb? What's dumb about it? ]

How do you think humans figured out which plants they could eat in the first place?

[ He picks a leaf and pops it into his mouth without hesitation.

Chews.

Makes a face. ]

Mm, yeah, not edible.

[ He turns, looking for a pot or something to spit it out into. ]

There are ways to test that sort of-- Oh my god.

[Theo gives him a flat look and points at a nearby waste basket.]

Yeah, it's a weed I can't even find any record of. If it was edible or was useful at all, I'd probably have found something on it by now. [He thinks. Turns out researching things from foreign planets is tough.]

[ Lucifer grabs the waste basket and spits the leaf out with as much dignity as he can manage. It isn't much. It's possible he makes a blech sound as he does so. ]

It was worth a shot. Too bad about the purple elephants. Maybe next time you'll get lucky.

Yeah, well. When we find some hallucinogens, you'll be the first to know, I guess.

[Plant pods have small digital displays on them listing their names and pertinent information on the pots. Theo leans over, pokes a few buttons, and changes this one from UNKNOWN to LUCIFER'S BANE.]

Congratulations.

Aw, how nice! I have a plant named after me.

[ He stops and thinks for a moment. ]

I suppose I already have a few of those. And rock formations. And other things. But it's the first time someone who knows me personally has named something after me!

[Theo rolls his eyes, but, it's a little funny, isn't it? Maybe he won't laugh, but at least he can make a joke from time to time.]

Only you'd take this as a compliment.

Having your name slapped on something is always a compliment. [ Lucifer smiles faintly. ] I learned a long time ago that if I let it be an insult, I'd never not be insulted, and that gets boring after a while.

Besides, "Lucifer's Bane" is a badass name. Makes it sound really scary, if it can defeat me.