Take this white cross and go to the center of the ring

[angelfire]

WHO: Lucifer and Peter Petrelli
WHERE: The Church of the Morningstar
WHEN: Sunday November 15th
WHAT: Lucifer and his fake angel brother need to have a little chat. About feelings.
WARNINGS: Lucifer probably.

[ Another lovely Sunday service. After last month, Lucifer was biding his time, minding his own business. He didn't make a significant noise on the network, had largely laid off his visits to other people's dreams, and yet there were things in motion now, plans that would come slowly into effect in the coming months.

Lucifer had settled, but he was not resting on his laurels. Christmas was approaching, the supposed birth of Christ, and celebration was in order. Thanksgiving, too, although Lucifer had already celebrated his own harvest festival; Michaelmas was a little less bloody and all-conquering.

In any event, it had been a lovely service, with plenty of singing, and Lucifer was content to see that after his recent involvement with Crane, his followers were beginning to trickle back, refilling the aisles. Peter played his part in that too, as the "angel" Raziel, using his power to confer healing on those who came into the church looking for it. It was everything that Lucifer wished he could still do, a power that had been stolen from him, but then, given the choice between healing and telekinesis...

Now, though, Lucifer came to join Peter while he was with the other volunteers and the homeless and needy that came to the church after every service. He laid his hand on his shoulder as he approached. ]

How are things going?

Comments

[askedtobe]

[ Another day, another service, another person conned, and another person saved. It was an interesting life Peter was leading, that much was true, but parts of it he couldn't complain about. He might not have liked the Raziel schtick much, but being the head nurse of the rest of the church's volunters and followers - the ones that came for free help - was something that Peter found utterly gratifying. He had no issues with the position, with directing others, with finding small instances to save a life through little means.

There was the small issue of working for Lucifer, but in all honesty, parts of him preferred it over working for the government en masse. Being a paramedic had meant working for a hospital which was a facility not necessarily run by an individual, and with Lucifer at least he knew where the leadership lay. Perhaps not the best leader of the bunch - perhaps he could have found better employment, but for the time being this functioned well enough.

He just had to deal with the rather consistent guilt it offered; it wasn't as if this was the first time he'd worked for the enemy.

A hand clapped on his shoulder just as Peter finished up chatting with one of the volunteers, a younger woman who quickly scurried off to go finish cleaning up. Peter was about to see what needed to be attended to next but Lucifer got there first and Peter turned, looking over his shoulder first before the rest of him followed. Because while those were open ended words, the sentiment rang of further conversation. ]

About as good as they can be. Why, something wrong?

[angelfire]

[ Lucifer stepped in closer, relaxed and easy. He was keeping out of the public eye recently, and that suited him fine, but things like this--he still gave all his own sermons, still got involved with the work with charity when it suited him. Getting in, speaking to people, making sure that he was as well loved as any cult leader could be... It was worth every single second of his time.

And with Peter, the same was true. Peter was the hardest to convince; a devoted - if unhappy - Catholic; a man who prayed, who knew all the stories, who understood who and what Lucifer was. Peter expected him to be a monster, and convincing him that he was anything else was hard work. But he could be a good boss, a thoughtful friend--he just had to build on it. ]

Nothing at all, I just thought that maybe we could talk. How have you been managing, since your brother left? The two of you were close, weren't you?

[askedtobe]

[ The mention of Nathan was enough to bristle Peter - not angrily, just emotionally. Conversation topics involving Nathan, or any member of his family really, were enough to make Peter near literally squirm, immediately folding his arms over his chest in an attempt to keep himself standing steadier, a facade against the usual shiftiness he got with mentions of Nathan. ]

Yeah, we are. We've got our.. issues but everything usually works out eventually. Would've been nice to have him around but i'm glad he got off home. It's where he belongs.

[ It was self conciliatory, if anything. Nathan's time here had been distressingly short and rather odd but Peter still liked having his brother around. And somehow it meant something to prove they could get along again after all the things Nathan had put them both through. It meant something that they could patch the walls and gloss it all over again.

It mattered. ]

[angelfire]

[ Peter had every right to find it unsettling; Lucifer had noticed at once, when Nathan joined him, that there was something very wrong with the man's soul. He wasn't what he seemed to be--not that he seemed to know otherwise. Not that Peter knew better. Lucifer had to wonder.

He smiled, slowly, and squeezed his hand very gently at Peter's shoulder, before moving away, circling him, guiding away from the people huddled down against the wall. ]

Let's walk.

[ Lucifer didn't need to keep his eyes on Peter's expression, he could feel the waft and wane of his feelings, his spirit, so he could feel feedback straight away from his words. When it came to brothers, he understood perfectly how complicated the feelings could be, and for a short time Nathan had been that rock. He was gone now, and Lucifer was trying to be a new rock, trying to hold Peter's attention. ]

I didn't want to say this before, but...I sensed he was keeping something from you. Do you have any idea what that could have been?

[askedtobe]

[ Peter didn't need to be directed multiple times to follow after Lucifer. It wasn't really one of those 'no thanks' situations; you didn't get to brush off a conversational opportunity from Lucifer without some sort of repercussions - or at the very least, uncomfortable resounding feelings left in the angel's disappearing wake. And so Peter was turned easily away from the rest of the quieting crowds, following after Lucifer and dodging his hands into his pockets instead. The rest of his work could either wait or would get finished up by the rest of the volunteers; no one questioned someone speaking to Lucifer in his domain. ]

Sure.

[ Not having the slightest clue what was in store, Peter's expression snapped up the instant Lucifer continued to speak, following wherever it was he was walking, brow furrowed in confusion. He couldn't be annoyed with the angel about it, but he could be annoyed by the idea in general, if only because it was an overarching theme in his life. Lie to Peter, see how long it lasts. ]

Honestly? Could be anything from back home. Good news for him, bad news for me. At this point I wouldn't have a clue, I thought we'd just patched things up. But- you know brothers.

[ Liars, the lot of them. And for all the good in the world, they could still be lies. Peter offered a half hearted shrug, though he still couldn't contain his mild concern. ]

[angelfire]

I do know brothers, yes. I know that sometimes they're not everything they seem, and that their secrets--oh, their secrets could change your world. Betrayal and lies, always thinking of themselves, but you love them anyway.

[ Betrayal and lies. Gabriel had sided with humanity; he had spent far, far too long on Earth, and he had bonded with the miserable creatures, felt sorry for them at least. Fought for them and died for them. He mourned his brother's loss, but he'd made his choice, and so had Lucifer.

This wasn't about him, though. Peter could probably care less about Gabriel and Michael; only one brother mattered to him, and he'd walked on out of his life. ]

I could tell you his secrets, but that's not really what you want, is it?

[askedtobe]

[ In a neat little nutshell, that was entirely true. Annoying to find himself agreeing with the devil on problems involving family but it was what it was - brothers kept secrets, turned their backs, used you up and wore you out and left you with nothing but your resounding love for them. It was the same way it had always been and yet Peter still wouldn't have traded Nathan for the world.

Maybe he should have. ]

I don't know, depends on the secret. [ It was half joke, half pointed commentary on the sort of things Nathan kept from him but Peter ducked his head almost shamefully for a moment before clearing his throat. ]

Is there something I should know?