Hybrid Kingdom PSL

[no1likeme]

{ the “beach” episode }
for some more light-hearted/chaotic stuff happening at the hotel throughout the plot

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THE LOBBY

[no1likeme]

Typical upscale hotel lobby decor. A little dark with some glitz. Beyond the concierge desk are plush chairs and settees for guests to sit and socialize. Somewhere is a bank of elevators.

post-war

[comminuted]

[Ah, this is... fancy. Even knowing it's owned by the people - gods, that part was real all along, the gods - who took down Set's cult doesn't make the lobby any less daunting to someone like Conor, who's gone from a compound to the hospital to Daniel's nice but modest apartment with only a handful of sightseeing trips in the process. Comparatively, this lobby full of glitz and sparkle and stark black and white patterns is a touch overwhelming.

But Conor doesn't panic. There are people milling around the lobby to get from one place to the next, which means someone he's met is bound to walk past and notice him if he's just patient enough. With that goal in mind, Conor finds it much easier to get himself over to one of the comfortable armchairs and sit down - it's an automatic reflex to pull his knees up to his chest and rest his heels on the edge of the chair, but if someone finds him after he's sat and people-watched for awhile, he may just have one leg crossed over the other.]

[sirenaic]

(( With everything said and done, there's no need for Lucifer to try slinking around like he isn't supposed to be here any longer. Nor does he have to immediately be on alert if one of the hotel's residents show up at his bar. What he's doing here? Anyone's guess (probably here to harass his brother in some form or other). He's just leaving from another afternoon mischief making when he spots a familiar face in the lobby.

Well, well, well...

He saunters over, all in black and bends at the waist to get on eye level with the boy. ))

Do you remember me?

[comminuted]

[The gods are real. Setekh was a real god. Osiris and Horus and their family are real gods. Lucas is an angel.

Which means that this man in front of him is...

Conor has never confronted Setekh, so this is the biggest shock he's had since leaving the cult and it's a doozy. His eyes fly wide open and he shrinks back into his chair, arms clutching his legs white-knuckle tight. He helped them, Conor reminds himself frantically, he helped them, he helped them, he left Setekh's side willingly, he helped to take the cult down, but memories still spin and flash through his mind at the very sight of him.

Deep breaths. Stay in the present.]

... Lucifer.

[sirenaic]

(( Lucifer hardly moves at the boy's reaction. It's certainly a reasonable one after all he's gone through. The only change happens in his face, his dark eyes widening slightly, softening in the face of such fear.

It takes more will power than Lucifer cares to admit to keep from uttering that old angelic adage be not afraid. How long has it been since he wanted a human to feel comforted by his presence? He can't even recall. ))

That's right. Can you still breathe alright, little prince? I'm not here to do anything to you. I'm actually pleased to see you. I'm very fond of someone with a face like yours.

[comminuted]

[... little prince?

Conor relaxes just a little and tilts his head at Lucifer, blinking rapidly. Glad to see him? Is it possible that Lucifer left because Setekh hurt him, too? He swallows hard and forces himself to relax even a little more, slowly setting his feet back on the floor one by one and hugging himself around the waist instead, and finds that there's room in his heart and mind for curiosity about this man.

This - oh, isn't Lucifer an angel too, originally?]

I heard that you left. You helped to stop him.

[sirenaic]

(( That's right. Just relax. The boy's presently in no danger from Lucifer or anyone else. Anyone who causes trouble in this place is a fool. With so many powerful beings here, yes, it's nothing short of idiocy to try to start shit. ))

You heard right. Though, don't mistake it for altruism. My reasons were completely for my own benefit. I won't hear any slander otherwise.

[comminuted]

[There's no wrong or bad reason to take down someone like Setekh, Conor thinks, but he just nods. Honestly, the way Lucifer insists on his own selfishness is kind of funny.

Sense of humor regain: +1]

I'm not the same person I was then. I don't know who that was or who I am, but they're not the same.

[sirenaic]

I can tell. Your eyes look clearer.

[comminuted]

Really?

[Now that idea pleases Conor a lot. He's felt so horribly foggy since he woke up at the hospital... maybe some of that was because he's forgotten what clarity feels like.

It feels a bit silly to ask Lucifer this, but suddenly Conor wants to know.]

Um - how have you been? Since... all that.

[sirenaic]

(( It's true. There's more going on in his eyes when Lucifer sees them now. And lingering haze he can easily attribute to whatever medications the humans have deemed best for him. Not because of whatever hypnotic effects Setekh had.

Lucifer stands upright then promptly plops down in a chair next to Conor. If they're going to have a conversation, he may as well be comfortable for it. ))

Me? Oh, I'm someone who likes to stay busy. You know, there really aren't that many people that make it to Heaven these days.

[comminuted]

[Conor actually turns toward Lucifer just a bit once he's sat down, which is a rare show of trusting body language for him. Lucifer inspires such a strange combination of nostalgic and safe feelings now, one Conor never thought he'd feel again.

Right... if Lucifer really is Lucifer, then he's in charge of Hell. And there are multiple afterlives just like there are multiple gods.]

Did we get worse, or just less obedient?

cw: mention of murder for hire

[antinostalgia]

(( It's been a while since Dae-hyun's been in town. His job could've been done a while ago, but it's not one of those time-sensitive deals. In the time he's been here, it feels like maybe a little of the weirdness of this place has been dialed back. He can't explain it.

But he's had a pleasant enough time visit with Conor at the hospital. It was as good cover and an actual nice part of his days. But Conor's not at the hospital anymore, so Dae-hyun doesn't have an excuse to dawdle anymore: he has an appointment with someone in a persistent vegetative state.

He's crossing the lobby to go do what he's here to do when he spot Conor sitting there. Okay, a quick delay. It's not like his mark is going anywhere. Dae-hyun pivots to head over to Conor, a curious look in his face. ))

Hey, Conor. What brings you here?

[comminuted]

[It's been much harder to see Dae-hyun anything like regularly since Conor was moved out of the hospital. Not only does his life with Daniel not have visiting hours, it's been full of meetings with people at various levels of the justice system as part of his conditional discharge. Turns out no one's particularly eager to make a scapegoat of the fragile, soft-spoken minor with obvious mental damage, at least, not even now that the cult leader has "died," but giving them what information he can is still a time-consuming and painful process.

As a result, Conor's come to miss Dae-hyun so terribly that when he shows up at the gods' hotel, asking or answering any questions about why is the last thing on his mind. His happiness shoots him out of his seat in a rush, cheeks a bit pink and face lit with one of his subtle smiles, looking for all the world like a normal teenage boy who's just spotted his crush.

(Because that's what Dae-hyun is, he understands now. Conor's stumbled several times figuring out how to relate to Dae-hyun but with his kind, gentle guidance, the truth has become clear. Conor adores him with a simple clarity that couldn't come as more of a relief after his complicated, painful feelings toward Setekh, which linger like a greasy residue or unpleasant aftertaste. Something that can, hopefully, be scrubbed away.)]

Hi. [He's still a boy of few words, but that initial reaction really said it all.]

[antinostalgia]

(( It’s been nice watching Conor become something more a like a person, even if only for an hour or so a day. Seeing him less frequently definitely left something missing in Dae-hyun’s days. Oh, he knows it was inevitable. The goal was always for Conor to get out of the hospital. He’s been keeping up on any news on the case and the cult. He’d be surprised if they sent a kid like him to prison for getting sucked up in all that. It’s not like he was a leader or anything.

But seeing him out the world, unsupervised is a bit jarring. To the point that Dae-hyun casts a quick look around before his gaze falls back on Conor with some concern. ))

Are you here alone?

[comminuted]

[Daniel feels almost overprotective at times lately, but Dae-hyun's concern just wraps around Conor's heart like a warm, soft blanket. He shakes his head.]

Daniel dropped me off. And I know the owners here. It's a safe place.

[Is Dae-hyun involved with taking down the cult too...? Well, it's still a hotel, after all. Maybe he's here by coincidence - considering what a state the city was apparently in for awhile, it's easy to see how this hotel would've been the most appealing.]

[antinostalgia]

(( Dae-hyun was not involved in the cult's take down. He's here for a completely different reason and his stay at this specific hotel is completely coincidental. Sorry, Conor.

What's shocking to him isn't that Conor's alone but... BLINK. ))

You know the owners? Huh. Wouldn't have guessed that. So, um, are you visiting someone or...?

[comminuted]

Mhm. [He bobs his head in a single nod. Sorry, Dae-hyun, but Conor's so fiercely loyal to the people who sent Setekh away that all outsiders get the cover story and you counts as an outsider right now.] Asa and Ruth Kohiak, they - um -

[Hoo boy. Is it time? Maybe it's time.]

- it's a long story. But. Do you have time to visit right now?

VERY post-war

[compositequeen]

[So. They still have the hotel. It seems to have been converted into some sort of short-term rental/living space for the other-than-human, judging by charge that Set can still feel in the air - the very same charge that blurred his senses so badly when they first set up the place for Horus and the priest's protection.

Set can admit to himself now that he's glad they survived. All of them. Processing his own regrets still feels strange, but sometimes the memory of what he put his cult through feels even stranger because he was so thoroughly lost in the grip of insanity. If there had been a point to the cruelty, he might feel differently, but acting out Osiris's murder again and again through acolytes? That was no means to an end. None of that violence empowered anything but his fractured ego.

The brand on his neck has helped him get to this point. The extreme humbling he's received through his role at the brothel has helped him get to this point. Sacrificing power and autonomy to regain the stability to stand on his own two feet - it isn't something anyone would have thought him capable of, and it did need to be forced on him in the end, but he's here now.

Here in the lobby of the hotel owned by his brother and nephew, well aware that he may be thrown out or beaten bloody or this body may simply be killed. Anyone who knew him then will see through the new face when they spot his hair. He just hopes he can talk to Horus and Osiris first.]

[theurgie]

(( Emmanuel doesn't always stay in the hotel. He actually has a home that he, occasionally, returns to. He still has his obligations as a hunter, as well. And, despite his departure from the Church, his contacts within it still funnel jobs his way. Not exorcisms, per se, but... well, they know what he's capable of.

Coming back to the hotel feels more like home these days. Since Sobek's partner bought the place, it's not like they have to check in or out anymore unless they want something from the concierge. He has a suite and its always available when he needs it. Not everyone stayed after the war was decided. Many had their own duties to return to, just as Emmanuel. But unlike them, he keeps coming back to see specific familiar faces.

What he doesn't expect at all as he rolls his suitcase across the lobby is that shock of of fire engine red hair. By now, the blinding hot hatred Set inspired in him has cooled to your run of the mill every day kind of hate. It's bitter that he has to swallow it because of who he is as a person. He can't forgive Set, not ever, but even Set deserves this second chance.

Does that stop Emmanuel from stalking over to him and hissing? Not at all. ))

What are you doing here? Get out.

[compositequeen]

[Well, of all the people Set could run into first, Emmanuel is probably the worst. At least this icy greeting makes for a good test of his determination to make things right, and will provide ample evidence of the same if he takes it with grace.

And that's exactly what he does, even if an old part of him would like to sneer at the priest who has succeeded in so many places where Set failed.]

Hello, Father Yoon. [Set lowers his head in a respectful nod.] My employer granted me three days leave to come here and see if there's any hope of - well, "making things right" would be asking a bit much, but at least having my apology heard.

[theurgie]

Tha—

(( He bites his tongue to stop the correction from spilling forth. It's none of Set's business that that's no longer a station he holds. And Set certainly doesn't need to be the first to know, before the two who mean so much to him.

His eyes narrow and he peers around the lobby. Would his 'employer' (his jailkeeper, really) just let him leave on holiday? Without an escort to ensure his return?

And why is it so hard to keep from grabbing him by his shirt front, driving him against the wall, and returning a portion of the violence he inflicted on them? Ah, it's so vivid in his mind, Set's blood on his hands. He's a killer of monsters, after all.

But it would pain Osiris. ))

Your apology? Are you fucking kidding right now? What possible words can heal all you've done to your own family?

[compositequeen]

[If Emmanuel does decide to get some of his own back, there won't be much Set can do in retaliation. He has the strength of a human now, can't even regenerate to heal his wounds because of the seal branded into his skin, and only stands an inch or two taller than the little priest whose neck used to fit so snugly in one of his hands. All he can do is hope that decorum wins out over the animal instinct burning in Emmanuel's eyes.

As for his question...]

Nothing I could say or do would make up for what I've already done, I know that. [It's strangely galling, too, the idea that he could decimate something so thoroughly that he's the only one powerless to rebuild it.] But it felt cowardly to use that as an excuse to stay away forever. If they don't agree and just want me gone, I'll leave.

[theurgie]

(( Emmanuel simply has to remind himself that not acting on his worst impulses is what separates him from Set. Also, this... this really doesn't involve Emmanuel. He's probably the least aggrieved. Oh, but he hated having to witness Set wrought on the people he loves.

That means it's not him who gets to decide the value of Set's words. Perhaps if Emmanuel weren't in such an internal rage, he could recognize the magnitude of the effort Set's making. The courage of it.

Emmanuel unclenches his fingers (when did that happen?) but there's still such unbridled hate burning in his eyes. It isn't his place to turn Set away, as much as he wants to. Horus and Osiris, and all the others, have been through enough. Even now that it's over, here comes Set to put them all through the ringer again. ))

It might be best to forget you ever had a family.

[compositequeen]

[And Set almost, almost informs Emmanuel that it's not his choice to make, but the murder still hasn't left his eyes and Set hasn't forgotten the feeling of his skull splintering under the force of a bullet. For a human, Emmanuel is actually quite terrifying.]

Believe me, I've considered that eventuality. A lot.

[Emmanuel really will kill him if he says why his thoughts have been so haunted by the idea of forsaking them for good - beneath the insanity, the violence, the demented craving, beneath the only side of Set that Emmanuel has ever seen and the only one he has reason to believe exists, Set does love his brother.

He has no right to anymore, but he does.]