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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. ]

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[ 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.

[Theo shakes his head. He doesn't get you. But he doesn't get most people, let alone Lucifer.] You're so weird.

"Plant that causes Lucifer to make an unpleasant face and spit it out" was too long for the display, so I had to be creative.

[ Lucifer just smiles. People call him weird all the time - another thing he's learned to take as a compliment, or just ignore. ]

It's much catchier, and if you want people to remember it, it needs to be catchy, so you're good there. It could be up there with nightshade, if you ask me.

Yeah, I'm sure we're gonna be real popular with the fishwives for this work.

[Really exciting stuff, getting to name weeds that probably grow in one specific spot on a backwater planet.]

If so, lucky fishwives, benefiting from your labor. Or maybe the next planet will benefit. Or maybe it’ll just be an attractive addition to this greenhouse with a funny story attached to it. So?

And if you say it doesn’t matter again I’m going to find a vinyl record and crack it over that sullen skull of yours, see if I don’t.

[ He says all this with no change to his cheerful demeanor. ]

[He absolutely was going to protest, until that oddly specific joke threat derails him. Lucifer gets another specialty teenage eyeroll as Theo picks up his comm and gets out of his seat.]

You're really weird.

And you could use a little more weirdness. Purple elephants! I’m telling you.

[ Lucifer just… grins. Like a Cheshire cat. ]

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