[Maybe next time - whatever that winds up looking like - Lucifer will show a crumb of mercy. A less ridiculous word, like... pumpernickel.
Lucifer can't help the wince, but he keeps his hand there long enough that he's able to relax a little after pulling away. Okay... that wasn't awful! It definitely doesn't fit with what they're going for right now, buuuuuut...]
Mm... Use it at that level next time we fuck. [He's learned he gets too distracted to fully process things like anxiety, so!] Maybe... a little stronger than that for this.
[His aim is roughly one part desensitization, another part stinging.]
[Oh, there is a lot for Vox to catch, there. 'Next time', huh? Lucifer's really developing a liking for this. Vox will have to keep some open slots in his schedule for these types of meet ups, then. But the next bit is even more interesting.]
A little stronger? Are yooou sure?~
[The electricity's gone from his fingers, back in its usual containment, so he can raise his hand to press it against the side of Lucifer's face, near the lower jaw. His thumb lands right beside the man's mouth.]
[He'll be as attractive as he wants, thank you very much! He put years into training his natural charisma so he's going to use it. Even now, his thumb is lightly stroking along near Lucifer's lower lip.]
Mmh, alright. You know the safe word.
[That's about all the warning Lucifer gets. His hand drops down quite abruptly to land on the man's shoulder. At the same time, his other hand shoots towards Lucifer's hip to grab a firm hold. The electricity is released right off the bat, strong enough to seize muscles. Vox's hold makes sure Lucifer can't fall, though whether that's a mercy or a way to make things worse is up for debate.
If Vox were willing to be the world's greatest dick, he'd keep it up for a good long while, because as long as the voltage is strong enough, it's not exactly possible to vocalize a safe word. One needs muscle control for that. But there's bridges he'd rather not burn, so he'll cut the flow off after about eight seconds, just to give Lucifer that chance to say... well. Anything. He won't be too picky about the safe word.]
[He is a little offended; how dare Vox make him blush just before the voluntary torture kicks off...
Lucifer can't help any sounds that slip out right at the start or right at the end of that wave. It's genuinely weird that some part of him likes it, considering his reasons for not wanting anything to do with it. Maybe his masochism is just that strong now.
(Or maybe his brain has simply found a new way to cope.)
With an unsteady breath, he gives a somewhat jerky nod.]
That was... fine.
[Bordering on unpleasant, but not so bad that he'll need the safe word too early on, or something.]
[Vox always likes when he gets to use these powers on someone else like this. The electricity is part of a circuit, a river that never stops flowing. Getting to extend that flow outward and making someone else a part of it, that brings a twisted feeling of companionship and ownership in a way others could never understand. Killing someone with these powers is easy and boring, keeping enough control to just paralyze? That takes skill.
He hears the sounds escaping Lucifer and takes them in, along with the agreement that follows once the man can speak again. Test successful, then. His eyes narrow lightly, smile tight-lipped. His hand releases Lucifer's hip and he backs away half a step.]
Here, on the bed.
[Sitting down for something like this is easier. It lets Lucifer hold onto him for support, and it gives Vox enough free reign to let his own hands wander. So he leads Lucifer towards the bed, where he can sit down on the edge of the mattress before pulling the King of Hell onto his lap.]
[Well, Lucifer had not expected to be sitting on Vox's lap for this, and that instantly has his mind wandering... He moves automatically, legs a bit tense, but still cooperative enough. He does have flight for if he needs to walk later, at least.
Once on Vox's lap, he settles in, sliding his arms to loosely hook against the back of the demon's neck. He takes a deep breath, thumb lightly brushing over the TV Man's skin.
Then he nods, indicating he's good to start back up.]
[The lap positioning is mostly practical in Vox's book. Mostly. It's impossible not to feel some sort of way about having someone's body this close to your own, convulsion and clutching and fuck knows what else. But Lucifer can collapse against Vox and try to curl in on himself if needed. That's the main goal here.
His left hand goes to the back of Lucifer's head, fingers raking through his hair in a firm downward motion, then lands on the back of his neck, right where the torso begins. His other hand settles on the small of his back.
This time, the surge isn't cut short after eight seconds. It keeps going indefinitely.]
[His back shifts, tensing and restless as those fingers rake through his hair.
Fuck.
Lucifer's entire body goes rigid, the sharp mixture of stab-like pain and the very intense kind of tingling. There's no way for him to protest how much longer this lasts, because he needs focus to use any of his powers in a nondestructive way. That thought should scare him. It should, at the very least, make him nervous.
But... in a weird way, volunteering for this removes a lot of reason to worry. Vox is getting to do something he enjoys, Lucifer is getting a slight break from those incredibly suffocating emotions... So...?
What's wrong with just sinking into it? Enjoying it? So what if he likes unhealthy levels of pain...
[The electricity courses along unhampered, and while it might be agony for Lucifer, it's the opposite for Vox. Ever since he died, he grew numb to it. It's a natural part of him now, whether he wants it to be or not. His eyes close as he feels out the currents, takes stock of all the paths they take through Lucifer's body and the damage that's left along the way. It's calming. It eases some sort of pain he refuses to acknowledge.
After a certain amount of time, he manages to rip himself away from that peace, because he knows when to stop. Still has enough discipline not to get lost in the pleasure. He brings the current to a screeching stop, so Lucifer has time to regain his breath.]
[Lucifer lets out a sound involuntarily, as his muscles gradually release. With a shudder running through him, he does wind up slumping against Vox, panting softly. Slowly, his eyes open as the haze in his mind clears a bit.]
What's... it feel like? [Having that kind of control over someone, sending that kind of deadly element through someone. Lucifer doesn't have that kind of connection with the one he used on Vox... Not anymore.] Does it at least... feel nice, for you?
[That storm of emotions did finally let up enough for him to be able to calmly talk. He almost sounds more tired than anything. Not that it'll last very long.]
[Lucifer slumps against him, and Vox lightly adjusts the position of his hands to match. It's not an embrace by any means; nothing comforting. It's a means of holding someone upright after their muscles got put through one hell of an ordeal. It's not the first time Vox has done something like this, and unless something extreme happens, it won't be the last.]
Yeah. I dunno if I can really explain it, but it's... Calming, you know? Like a hot shower.
[For the most part, Vox loves the feel and sight of electricity. The rare occasion he doesn't is during thunder storms, when lightning catches him off guard. That's something he can't control, the sudden flash of electromagnetic radiation overwhelming him. Besides, it stirs some nasty memories. Other than that, though... He's good.]
[An embrace would be too weird, so he's quietly grateful for this being the extent of it. It's going to be a bit before he can sit up on his own.]
I'm glad. [He means it - he prefers Vox getting something out of it during, rather than feeling like he's racking up some hefty fee, so to speak.] Still... I'd rather pay you back something more than a hot shower. What do you want, in return?
[Before his head gets too full again, he'd like an idea of what he's going to be paying back.]
[He doesn't need to think about it. Sure, making deals is 'kind of an Overlord's thing', but that doesn't mean everything needs that strict transactional two-way street. Sometimes, Vox wants to do something just for the sake of doing it, without having to come up with favors or tactical advantages.
He gets to electrocute the King of Hell. It's not even a challenge at this point. Lucifer just keeps on humiliating himself without Vox having to lift a finger. Where's the fun in exploiting that kind of weakness?]
[Vox can probably imagine, by now, the kind of expression he's wearing. Though it shifts from confusion to wariness. From wariness to acceptance. He takes a deep breath, flexing his hands a bit. They're still annoyingly weak. So... his weakness to electricity really is that bad, huh? It's like he really was just made into the most caricature version of himself possible when he ended up here.
Well... Vox's words wouldn't hurt so bad if they didn't carry what he felt was truth. But he was never meant to be a real King. The punishment, past all those initial layers, was to be mocked. To be disrespected, over and over. Seen as just a joke. And knowing all of that, as always, helps nothing!
But, it doesn't mean he can't at least continue trying a little... right? He considers Stolas' words, Rosie's... Husk's.]
Okay. [There's more he feel compelled to say; that's how it always starts, though, with this guy. He just keeps it to:] Thank you, Vox.
The words are like a sudden attack. Something that springs out a dark hiding place to lunge at him, going straight for the throat. Thank you, Vox? What the fuck?! He can't even fully explain why a sentiment like that stirs such intense, raw and hurtful loathing. Why it feels like an insult- a blow beneath the belt. The best he can come up with is what his mind starts screaming at him. He's not doing this out of kindness. It's not a favor to be thanked for. This is for him, not Lucifer. Fuck Lucifer!
The only warning given is a crackle of electricity that sparks along his antenna. The next second, his hold on Lucifer tightens again, pulling the man right up his torso. The current overtakes the king's body again, its voltage higher than before. Fiercer. He's not calm at all, this time.]
He did notice that spark! And it felt like a warning, but he wasn't quite to the point of being able to move. He's literally willing himself to teleport just as the electricity slams through him. It's so much worse than when he was in that weapon, and not just because of the pain. That memory still sort of hung over him, already. Of the things he finds himself wanting to do, at times, whenever he's around this particular demon.
This feels like justification for how he viewed Sinners, and for just a moment, he's genuinely wishing he could will his powers back. To kill this man in cold blood, and to make it so much worse than that first encounter. Then there's fear. So, so much fear of both Vox and- well, of himself, actually.
Everyone's going black, immediately after—like he's being sucked down into some hazy abyss.]
[The loss of consciousness isn't noted. Not until Vox brings the current to a halt again, and he's left holding a very much motionless body. A quick check tells him Lucifer is still breathing though, so no harm done. There's a split second where Vox considers the notion he got carried away, but then he remembers why Lucifer came to him in the first place. What this whole thing was even for.
Eh. Mission accomplished. And nothing hospital-worthy, as agreed.
He carries Lucifer's body over to the sofa to let him recover there, then goes back to what he was doing before he was interrupted. He's got scripts to finetune and equipment to approve, and all that stuff that comes with running a business.]
[ Surprisingly, Vox will probably hear Adam before he sees him... Despite the cameras he probably has all over both the inside and outside of the building.
Standing there, practically glowing with holy light, like some wound-up and pissed-off nuclear reactor about to pop its top. Wings flared out, and he bellowed at the top of his lungs before flying up the side of the building.
See, the funny thing about their punishment was that Adam felt everything Lucifer was going through, to the point he knew exactly where he was lying down, conscious or not. And that's exactly where he's headed. ]
HEY! Glitch Bitch! Yea, I know you fuckin heared me! What the fuck did you do!?
[Vox's plan for the rest of the day involved working until the wee hours of the next morning. At some point Lucifer would wake up and get lost. Simple. What he was not expecting is the first fucking man racing up to his home- literally. This asshole is screaming for everyone to hear and blasting his way up to the penthouse balcony.
What in the hell is going on now?
Adam is the rightful head of the Exorcist army. He can kill a sinner on a literal whim, smiting them instantly. Even then, Vox swallows down any fear, reducing it to apprehension at most. He heads over to the balcony and opens the door before Adam can smash his way through it, forcing a deadpan.]
[Adam skids onto the balcony, wings snapping out like a pair of missile launchers, flaring wide to slow his landing. He hops off the railing with that predatory swagger, slow, deliberate, all āIām about to ruin your day and look fabulous doing itā energy. His eyes lock on Vox, sharp enough to cut through metal, voice low but humming with fire, sarcasm, and a smidge of pure, unhinged menace.]
Danm right you can fuckin help me, bitch! You can start by telling me what the fuck you think you're doing? You think that you can just what? Hurt him? Fuckin hurt me, and stroll around all smug like a fucking idiot? Cute. Adorable. Wrong. Dead fuckin wrong.
[Adam steps closer, too close, personal-space? Whatās that? poking Vox hard in the shoulder with two fingers, shoving him back like heās a nuisance on a crowded sidewalk. His head tilts, scanning past the Demon for Lucifer, wings twitching like theyāre about to launch a one-man airstrike.]
What the fuck gives you the right to do that? Huh? To touch him, to mess with him, to make me feel all that fuckin thrumming pain like some kind of twisted RSVP to your sadistic little party?! Listen, maybe heād piss himself and back downābut me? Oh no, bitch. Me? I donāt back down. I donāt flinch. I donāt even consider flinching.
You got any last fuckin words before I wipe that scrawny, smug little ass of yours off the face of existence? Before I factory-reset you into a pile of regret-flavoured fuckin dust? Because trust me, bitch, Iām feeling real fuckin creative today, and your death is gonna be art.
[ Yeaaaah... Adam's not used to feeling pain? And he sure as shit doesn't like it soooo maybe he's going a little overboard... Oops. ]
[So. This sucks. Usually, when Adam and his soldiers were in town, Vox would be holed up in Vee Tower. Out of sight, out of mind. He never had to come face to face with a single Exorcist before. Lute changed that by cornering him here in Iyashikei, but even that doesn't compare to being towered over by Adam. This archangel douchebag is enormous and full of entitled privilege given to him the powers that be. It really ensures Vox is at a disadvantage, and his best move is to just let Adam shove him, since anything ranging from fighting back to trying to dodge the touch would be like giving this guy an excuse to use real force.
Also, Adam's rambling like a lunatic. That's not helping.
Vox throws both hands up in a 'wait a second' gesture, because holy shit what is going on, there's a lot being thrown at him and he can only decipher about a quarter of it with context clues.]
Okay. Can I ask you to chill? 'Cause I'm not gonna lie, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm assuming it's got something to do with Lucifer...?
[Even as he poses the question, he's prepping to turn to electricity and disappear into the nearest security camera. Adam probably won't smite the entire building, seeing as Lucifer's in it and that would obliterate him as well. Unless this is an attempt to finish the job, in which case, Vox will happily hand Lucifer over if it means he gets to not be smited. Either way, Lucifer's his ticket to survival here.]
[ Adam knows who Vox is, has seen his shit-eating-grin plastered on reports in the boardroom up in Heaven, he's never seen him face to face, though, it seems that this slippery prick always managed to somehow stay out of sight out of mind during the extreminations. But now that he's actually face-to-screen with him, Adam finds there's a certain pull about him... Then again, the Firstman always has had a fondness for watching TV up in heaven...
No, don't get distracted, Adam! You're here to save Lucifer from, whatever-the-fuck this is? ]
--What? Chill?... Fuckin chill!? Bruh, I don't fuckin think so, you all but fuckin fried my brains!
[ Grabbing Vox by the lapels of his jacket and hauling him up off the ground, snarling and huffing as he loomed in, his mask phasing out, letting Vox see his bloodshot golden eyes and the way his hair looked a little more poofy than it ought to be. ]
Yes this has everything to do with Lucifer! Fuck! Where is he? What did you fuckin do?!
[Two decades of putting up with Val's aggressive mood swings have trained Vox for this moment. He's stared into that type of wild eyes many times before, and while the fury was rarely ever directed at him for more than two seconds, experience is experience. He stares right back, careful not to show an inkling of fear. Weakness only throws fuel onto the fire. He'll just... dangle from Adam's hold and hope his jacket won't rip. Yep...]
He's inside. He came to me and asked me for a favor, so I did him the favor and now he's resting. Seemed like he really needed that rest, too. He was lookin' real manic, going on and on about needing a distraction.
[He's smart enough not to say that Lucifer accused Adam of trying to kill him, even if it's very prevalent in the back of his mind. Any mention of it is liable to backfire immediately.]
[ Oh, heās resting? Adamās grip tightens for half a second, not enough to crush, just enough to remind Vox exactly who is holding who. Vox dangles there, all rigid defiance and careful posture. Cute. Like that helps. ]
You let him in. Just like that?
[ His voice is sharp, edged in steel and venom, but underneath it thereās something else. A flicker. A pulse that doesnāt quite feel like his. God, he hates that. For days now, every spike of irritation has been tangled up with something warmer. Softer. Concern that isnāt his. Protective instinct that doesnāt belong to him.
Except it does. Except it doesnāt.
The condition of their punishment hums under his skin, and with it comes the faintest echo of exhaustion. A brittle sort of unravelling. Not from himself, from Lucifer, and Adamās jaw tightens at it. ]
He came to you?
[ He repeats, incredulous. ]
Of all the greasy, morally bankrupt piles of circuitry in this damned place, he picked you
[ The anger is real. Thatās his. Territorial, bristling, prideful, because Adam doesn't know Vox enough to make that comment, it's all negative emotions Lucifer relates towards him. Whenever Adam was down in Hell with his bitches, Vox was off hiding like one.
The worry, though, the intrusive, crawling worry, that's real.
He remembers the edge in Luciferās feelings earlier. The way it frayed in the middle. The flash of pain and fear that wasnāt theatrical. That was raw. So, if heās resting, that means he crashed. Lucifer never crashes in front of people unless heās too far gone to keep standing. Adam hates that he knows that. He lifts Vox an inch higher, eye level now. Golden eyes burn into the screen. ]
What kind of manic? [ He demands. ] Rambling conspiracy manic? Pacing and fuckin laughing manic? Or the āI havenāt slept in three days, and my wings feel like theyāre made of fuckin glassā kind?
[ Thereās too much specificity in that question. He realises it. He despises it. ]
This isnātā [ He cuts himself off, scowling. ] This isnāt fuckin concern, bruh. Donāt get smug. I just donāt like... variables.
[ Yeah. That sounds better. The condition of their punishment twists again ā a faint residual impression of relief. Lucifer is relaxing somewhere nearby. Safe enough to drop. Safe because Vox helped him. Adamās stomach knots. ]
That was fuckin stupid of him... [ Adam mutters, quieter now, more to himself than Vox. ] He doesnāt get to fuckin spiral in someone elseās territory without telling me. Not because I fuckin care. I don't! Because I need to know. Because if heās unravelling, I fuckin feel it. Because every time he panics like a little bitch, it claws up my spine too.
[ Adam sets Vox down, not gently, but not violently either. A controlled drop. ]
Iām going in there. To wait it out. Just try and fuckin stop me. [ He says, voice steadier now, but still dangerous. ]
And if he wakes up more strung out than when he went in?... If I find out you made this fuckin weird? Or took advantage while he was off-balance? [ A slow, sharp smile pulls across Adams's mask. ] Then you and I are going to have a real fuckin educational conversation about what āfavourā means.
[ He pauses at the doorway, just for half a second. And under the bravado, under the venom, under the pride ā There it is again. That gnawing, unwanted pull of worry. Please let him actually be sleeping. Adam doesnāt look back at Vox as he invites himself inside. ]
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Lucifer can't help the wince, but he keeps his hand there long enough that he's able to relax a little after pulling away. Okay... that wasn't awful! It definitely doesn't fit with what they're going for right now, buuuuuut...]
Mm... Use it at that level next time we fuck. [He's learned he gets too distracted to fully process things like anxiety, so!] Maybe... a little stronger than that for this.
[His aim is roughly one part desensitization, another part stinging.]
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A little stronger? Are yooou sure?~
[The electricity's gone from his fingers, back in its usual containment, so he can raise his hand to press it against the side of Lucifer's face, near the lower jaw. His thumb lands right beside the man's mouth.]
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I'm sure.
[He's anxious; it shows in his eyes. But he isn't lying. Even with anxiety, the most prominent is his desperation.]
CW: Electrocution for a good long while probably, blanket warning is a go
Mmh, alright. You know the safe word.
[That's about all the warning Lucifer gets. His hand drops down quite abruptly to land on the man's shoulder. At the same time, his other hand shoots towards Lucifer's hip to grab a firm hold. The electricity is released right off the bat, strong enough to seize muscles. Vox's hold makes sure Lucifer can't fall, though whether that's a mercy or a way to make things worse is up for debate.
If Vox were willing to be the world's greatest dick, he'd keep it up for a good long while, because as long as the voltage is strong enough, it's not exactly possible to vocalize a safe word. One needs muscle control for that. But there's bridges he'd rather not burn, so he'll cut the flow off after about eight seconds, just to give Lucifer that chance to say... well. Anything. He won't be too picky about the safe word.]
Yep, electrocution for a whiiiiile
Lucifer can't help any sounds that slip out right at the start or right at the end of that wave. It's genuinely weird that some part of him likes it, considering his reasons for not wanting anything to do with it. Maybe his masochism is just that strong now.
(Or maybe his brain has simply found a new way to cope.)
With an unsteady breath, he gives a somewhat jerky nod.]
That was... fine.
[Bordering on unpleasant, but not so bad that he'll need the safe word too early on, or something.]
no subject
He hears the sounds escaping Lucifer and takes them in, along with the agreement that follows once the man can speak again. Test successful, then. His eyes narrow lightly, smile tight-lipped. His hand releases Lucifer's hip and he backs away half a step.]
Here, on the bed.
[Sitting down for something like this is easier. It lets Lucifer hold onto him for support, and it gives Vox enough free reign to let his own hands wander. So he leads Lucifer towards the bed, where he can sit down on the edge of the mattress before pulling the King of Hell onto his lap.]
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Once on Vox's lap, he settles in, sliding his arms to loosely hook against the back of the demon's neck. He takes a deep breath, thumb lightly brushing over the TV Man's skin.
Then he nods, indicating he's good to start back up.]
Ready.
no subject
His left hand goes to the back of Lucifer's head, fingers raking through his hair in a firm downward motion, then lands on the back of his neck, right where the torso begins. His other hand settles on the small of his back.
This time, the surge isn't cut short after eight seconds. It keeps going indefinitely.]
no subject
Fuck.
Lucifer's entire body goes rigid, the sharp mixture of stab-like pain and the very intense kind of tingling. There's no way for him to protest how much longer this lasts, because he needs focus to use any of his powers in a nondestructive way. That thought should scare him. It should, at the very least, make him nervous.
But... in a weird way, volunteering for this removes a lot of reason to worry. Vox is getting to do something he enjoys, Lucifer is getting a slight break from those incredibly suffocating emotions... So...?
What's wrong with just sinking into it? Enjoying it? So what if he likes unhealthy levels of pain...
Could be worse... right?]
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After a certain amount of time, he manages to rip himself away from that peace, because he knows when to stop. Still has enough discipline not to get lost in the pleasure. He brings the current to a screeching stop, so Lucifer has time to regain his breath.]
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What's... it feel like? [Having that kind of control over someone, sending that kind of deadly element through someone. Lucifer doesn't have that kind of connection with the one he used on Vox... Not anymore.] Does it at least... feel nice, for you?
[That storm of emotions did finally let up enough for him to be able to calmly talk. He almost sounds more tired than anything. Not that it'll last very long.]
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Yeah. I dunno if I can really explain it, but it's... Calming, you know? Like a hot shower.
[For the most part, Vox loves the feel and sight of electricity. The rare occasion he doesn't is during thunder storms, when lightning catches him off guard. That's something he can't control, the sudden flash of electromagnetic radiation overwhelming him. Besides, it stirs some nasty memories. Other than that, though... He's good.]
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I'm glad. [He means it - he prefers Vox getting something out of it during, rather than feeling like he's racking up some hefty fee, so to speak.] Still... I'd rather pay you back something more than a hot shower. What do you want, in return?
[Before his head gets too full again, he'd like an idea of what he's going to be paying back.]
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[He doesn't need to think about it. Sure, making deals is 'kind of an Overlord's thing', but that doesn't mean everything needs that strict transactional two-way street. Sometimes, Vox wants to do something just for the sake of doing it, without having to come up with favors or tactical advantages.
He gets to electrocute the King of Hell. It's not even a challenge at this point. Lucifer just keeps on humiliating himself without Vox having to lift a finger. Where's the fun in exploiting that kind of weakness?]
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Well... Vox's words wouldn't hurt so bad if they didn't carry what he felt was truth. But he was never meant to be a real King. The punishment, past all those initial layers, was to be mocked. To be disrespected, over and over. Seen as just a joke. And knowing all of that, as always, helps nothing!
But, it doesn't mean he can't at least continue trying a little... right? He considers Stolas' words, Rosie's... Husk's.]
Okay. [There's more he feel compelled to say; that's how it always starts, though, with this guy. He just keeps it to:] Thank you, Vox.
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The words are like a sudden attack. Something that springs out a dark hiding place to lunge at him, going straight for the throat. Thank you, Vox? What the fuck?! He can't even fully explain why a sentiment like that stirs such intense, raw and hurtful loathing. Why it feels like an insult- a blow beneath the belt. The best he can come up with is what his mind starts screaming at him. He's not doing this out of kindness. It's not a favor to be thanked for. This is for him, not Lucifer. Fuck Lucifer!
The only warning given is a crackle of electricity that sparks along his antenna. The next second, his hold on Lucifer tightens again, pulling the man right up his torso. The current overtakes the king's body again, its voltage higher than before. Fiercer. He's not calm at all, this time.]
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He did notice that spark! And it felt like a warning, but he wasn't quite to the point of being able to move. He's literally willing himself to teleport just as the electricity slams through him. It's so much worse than when he was in that weapon, and not just because of the pain. That memory still sort of hung over him, already. Of the things he finds himself wanting to do, at times, whenever he's around this particular demon.
This feels like justification for how he viewed Sinners, and for just a moment, he's genuinely wishing he could will his powers back. To kill this man in cold blood, and to make it so much worse than that first encounter. Then there's fear. So, so much fear of both Vox and- well, of himself, actually.
Everyone's going black, immediately after—like he's being sucked down into some hazy abyss.]
no subject
Eh. Mission accomplished. And nothing hospital-worthy, as agreed.
He carries Lucifer's body over to the sofa to let him recover there, then goes back to what he was doing before he was interrupted. He's got scripts to finetune and equipment to approve, and all that stuff that comes with running a business.]
Action! Shortly after the bad tickle...
Standing there, practically glowing with holy light, like some wound-up and pissed-off nuclear reactor about to pop its top. Wings flared out, and he bellowed at the top of his lungs before flying up the side of the building.
See, the funny thing about their punishment was that Adam felt everything Lucifer was going through, to the point he knew exactly where he was lying down, conscious or not. And that's exactly where he's headed. ]
HEY! Glitch Bitch! Yea, I know you fuckin heared me! What the fuck did you do!?
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What in the hell is going on now?
Adam is the rightful head of the Exorcist army. He can kill a sinner on a literal whim, smiting them instantly. Even then, Vox swallows down any fear, reducing it to apprehension at most. He heads over to the balcony and opens the door before Adam can smash his way through it, forcing a deadpan.]
Can I help you?
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Danm right you can fuckin help me, bitch! You can start by telling me what the fuck you think you're doing? You think that you can just what? Hurt him? Fuckin hurt me, and stroll around all smug like a fucking idiot? Cute. Adorable. Wrong. Dead fuckin wrong.
[Adam steps closer, too close, personal-space? Whatās that? poking Vox hard in the shoulder with two fingers, shoving him back like heās a nuisance on a crowded sidewalk. His head tilts, scanning past the Demon for Lucifer, wings twitching like theyāre about to launch a one-man airstrike.]
What the fuck gives you the right to do that? Huh? To touch him, to mess with him, to make me feel all that fuckin thrumming pain like some kind of twisted RSVP to your sadistic little party?! Listen, maybe heād piss himself and back downābut me? Oh no, bitch. Me? I donāt back down. I donāt flinch. I donāt even consider flinching.
You got any last fuckin words before I wipe that scrawny, smug little ass of yours off the face of existence? Before I factory-reset you into a pile of regret-flavoured fuckin dust? Because trust me, bitch, Iām feeling real fuckin creative today, and your death is gonna be art.
[ Yeaaaah... Adam's not used to feeling pain? And he sure as shit doesn't like it soooo maybe he's going a little overboard... Oops. ]
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Also, Adam's rambling like a lunatic. That's not helping.
Vox throws both hands up in a 'wait a second' gesture, because holy shit what is going on, there's a lot being thrown at him and he can only decipher about a quarter of it with context clues.]
Okay. Can I ask you to chill? 'Cause I'm not gonna lie, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm assuming it's got something to do with Lucifer...?
[Even as he poses the question, he's prepping to turn to electricity and disappear into the nearest security camera. Adam probably won't smite the entire building, seeing as Lucifer's in it and that would obliterate him as well. Unless this is an attempt to finish the job, in which case, Vox will happily hand Lucifer over if it means he gets to not be smited. Either way, Lucifer's his ticket to survival here.]
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No, don't get distracted, Adam! You're here to save Lucifer from, whatever-the-fuck this is? ]
--What? Chill?... Fuckin chill!? Bruh, I don't fuckin think so, you all but fuckin fried my brains!
[ Grabbing Vox by the lapels of his jacket and hauling him up off the ground, snarling and huffing as he loomed in, his mask phasing out, letting Vox see his bloodshot golden eyes and the way his hair looked a little more poofy than it ought to be. ]
Yes this has everything to do with Lucifer! Fuck! Where is he? What did you fuckin do?!
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He's inside. He came to me and asked me for a favor, so I did him the favor and now he's resting. Seemed like he really needed that rest, too. He was lookin' real manic, going on and on about needing a distraction.
[He's smart enough not to say that Lucifer accused Adam of trying to kill him, even if it's very prevalent in the back of his mind. Any mention of it is liable to backfire immediately.]
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[ Oh, heās resting? Adamās grip tightens for half a second, not enough to crush, just enough to remind Vox exactly who is holding who. Vox dangles there, all rigid defiance and careful posture. Cute. Like that helps. ]
You let him in. Just like that?
[ His voice is sharp, edged in steel and venom, but underneath it thereās something else. A flicker. A pulse that doesnāt quite feel like his. God, he hates that. For days now, every spike of irritation has been tangled up with something warmer. Softer. Concern that isnāt his. Protective instinct that doesnāt belong to him.
Except it does. Except it doesnāt.
The condition of their punishment hums under his skin, and with it comes the faintest echo of exhaustion. A brittle sort of unravelling. Not from himself, from Lucifer, and Adamās jaw tightens at it. ]
He came to you?
[ He repeats, incredulous. ]
Of all the greasy, morally bankrupt piles of circuitry in this damned place, he picked you
[ The anger is real. Thatās his. Territorial, bristling, prideful, because Adam doesn't know Vox enough to make that comment, it's all negative emotions Lucifer relates towards him. Whenever Adam was down in Hell with his bitches, Vox was off hiding like one.
The worry, though, the intrusive, crawling worry, that's real.
He remembers the edge in Luciferās feelings earlier. The way it frayed in the middle. The flash of pain and fear that wasnāt theatrical. That was raw. So, if heās resting, that means he crashed. Lucifer never crashes in front of people unless heās too far gone to keep standing. Adam hates that he knows that. He lifts Vox an inch higher, eye level now. Golden eyes burn into the screen. ]
What kind of manic? [ He demands. ] Rambling conspiracy manic? Pacing and fuckin laughing manic? Or the āI havenāt slept in three days, and my wings feel like theyāre made of fuckin glassā kind?
[ Thereās too much specificity in that question. He realises it. He despises it. ]
This isnātā [ He cuts himself off, scowling. ] This isnāt fuckin concern, bruh. Donāt get smug. I just donāt like... variables.
[ Yeah. That sounds better. The condition of their punishment twists again ā a faint residual impression of relief. Lucifer is relaxing somewhere nearby. Safe enough to drop. Safe because Vox helped him. Adamās stomach knots. ]
That was fuckin stupid of him... [ Adam mutters, quieter now, more to himself than Vox. ] He doesnāt get to fuckin spiral in someone elseās territory without telling me. Not because I fuckin care. I don't! Because I need to know. Because if heās unravelling, I fuckin feel it. Because every time he panics like a little bitch, it claws up my spine too.
[ Adam sets Vox down, not gently, but not violently either. A controlled drop. ]
Iām going in there. To wait it out. Just try and fuckin stop me. [ He says, voice steadier now, but still dangerous. ]
And if he wakes up more strung out than when he went in?... If I find out you made this fuckin weird? Or took advantage while he was off-balance? [ A slow, sharp smile pulls across Adams's mask. ] Then you and I are going to have a real fuckin educational conversation about what āfavourā means.
[ He pauses at the doorway, just for half a second. And under the bravado, under the venom, under the pride ā There it is again. That gnawing, unwanted pull of worry. Please let him actually be sleeping. Adam doesnāt look back at Vox as he invites himself inside. ]
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