Video;

[angelfire]

[ Characters who have listed addresses will have received, some time in the past week, an invitation in the post that reads "You are cordially invited to attend the Very ImPortant New Year's Eve Show, a televised extravaganza supporting the Society for Institutional Safety". It mentions a studio lot in De Chima where the party will be held, the free food and alcohol that will be available, and a request for volunteers to man the telephones and take donations. There is no mention of Lucifer on the invitation.

Fast forward to today. The first few bars of "Santa Baby", the Christmas cover by Dorian Grey and the Hedonists, plays to darkness as the advert begins. The singing begins, and now there are clips of delighted children opening presents, and a warm scene of a family sitting around a fire, and then a few seconds of a silver angel perched on top of a Christmas tree, lights twinkling. It's all very homely and sentimental, and then Lucifer appears. He's sat in what seems like the same warm, well lit room, the reflection of the firelight on his face. ]

Ah, Christmas. That time of the year where parents the world over are forced to sit through half-assed reproductions of the birth of Christ, and everyone else tries to pretend they care about the spirit of giving crap and not the fact that they desperately want the latest console or phone. Santa Claus is, believe it or not, bigger than God. I mean, look at the guy - literally bigger - but then people stopped feeding God their fattened lambs thousands of years ago, it's no wonder he's lost a few pounds.

Anyway, I'm Lucifer. [ He touches his chest. ] Satan. The Morning Star. And I may be everything that the Bible says I am, but for once, I come bearing gifts. To introduce you to a brand new Year of Our Lord, our network has agreed to host an extra special edition of ImPortant!--A Very ImPortant New Years Show! We'll have all sorts of guests, clips from Winger Man and other imPort shows, and an extra special musical performance by Dorian Grey, all to raise money for the Society for Institutional Safety.

Now, isn't that just the perfect spirit of-- [ Lucifer trails off. One of the small children in his chosen poster family has come trotting over with a toy train, which he proceeds to drive across Lucifer's forehead before running around the back of the couch. For a moment the archangel is very still - almost calm before the apocalypse still, his eyes hanging closed - before his eyes slit open again, leaving a kind of serene-but-lethal calm in place. ] ..."good will to all Men"?

[ The clip closes with a flash of the title card of ImPortant! with "A Very" and "New Year's Show!" written above and below the title. The image of Lucifer in his throne on the left hand side of the image is now augmented with tinsel, glittery angel wings and a silver halo. The crap he does for his ratings. This clip may be reposted to the network by Lucifer, but it's also all over the ads on regular TV, exhaustively repeated  Please see the OOC post for more details!]

Comments

video;

[brushoff]

It'll be worth it alone just to hear the band!

video;

[angelfire]

I'd jinx you and insist that you don't lose your voice before New Year's, but we can always fix that if it happens. Magic goes both ways, after all.

( video. )

[desequilibre]

You're not serious.

[ They are letting children near Lucifer? What in God's name is wrong with these people. ]

( video. )

[angelfire]

About the "Good Will to All Men" thing, Athos? Passingly.

[ Don't be rude, he's excellent with kids.

He always makes sure that they go first. ]

Video

[knifecollecting]

A telethon? Really?

Video

[angelfire]

The Devil doing the Devil's work? Say it isn't so, Miss Harvelle.

And good to see you, I have to say. You're looking well.

video;

[itistolaugh]

Cute kid.

video;

[angelfire]

Oh yes, absolutely adorable.

[ And so, so lucky he doesn't have a good enough alibi. ]

[112ounces]

They actually give the Devil his own T.V show?

[ What is wrong with these natives. No wonder Crane's got such a soft sentence. ]

[angelfire]

They do. Back for a brand new season this spring.

[ There is something wrong with them, though. He likes it. ]

video

[mousquetaire]

[ Ah, he remembers that invitation.

He'd better go and make sure it's not anywhere in Lucy's sight. ]

'The Society for Institutional Safety'.

Catchy name. It must've taken you hours to come up with that.

video

[angelfire]

Not my charity, Darty. The network chose it. It's a charity which trains people in civil positions in the art of protecting those they're responsible for, should the worst happen.

Voice

[hsalf]

[He makes an audible laugh after the child rails over Lucifer's head with the toy train and stops after a few seconds with a sigh.]

A Christmas special produced by Satan. Should we expect this to go...up in flames?

[TERRIBLE he knows.]

Voice

[angelfire]

I was rather hoping it would be a Hell of a show. Fireworks aren't out of the question--after all, it is New Year's.

[ If he doesn't appreciate being giggled at he doesn't show it. ]

video;

[textualhealing]

[Secretly excited? Him? Don't be silly, that'd mean having an emotion other than extreme indifference.]

Nothing more entertaining than watching live television. It's like watching a car crash.

video;

[angelfire]

[ It's going to be amazing. But yes, he gets it, Jeff has to show machismo and manliness and all that. ]

Do people enjoy watching car crashes?

video;

[cleptes]

Just don't pull a Crane and unleash fear gas, yeah?

[Such suspicion, Bela.]

video;

[angelfire]

What point would there be in doing something like that? I want to be invited back, after all.

video

[du_vallon]

[His brow is furrowed because this isn't exactly normal, is it? Then again, Porthos' core definition of normal is having to learn how to stretch a far, far amount]

This seems more like a really awful and strange dream. This can't actually be something being shown, can it?

video

[angelfire]

[ He does so love the days when he gets to complete the set, but oh, his kingdom for an Aramis. He's sure they'd get on like a house on fire...

He still hasn't entirely given up on winning Porthos over a little though. He is such a jolly looking guy. ]

It has a dreamlike quality, but then to you I'm sure most days in this world have that.

Video;

[dontforgetpie]

Somebody seriously thought it was a good idea to have you around kids?

Video;

[angelfire]

Oh, they're actors. It's not like it's a real family. You worry too much.

audio

[restingstitchface]

You know, Lucifer, when humans claim "the Devil made me do it", a charitable pledge isn't the offensive act, typically speaking.

[He says with a boyish smile.]

audio

[angelfire]

[ A laugh. ] Look at you. A veritable comedian now; I'm so glad you're feeling more like yourself.

video

[rathercommon]

[ Ugh. Well, as a start: ]

Saying 'goodwill towards men' is both sexist and speciesist. You oughtn't use that phrase.

video

[angelfire]

You're all men to me. Trouser snakes or otherwise, that is why you're called mankind. As for speciesist, good will toward men is a decent start from me, rather than a promise. When I choose to be all inclusive, I'll make it clear.

Other than that, dearest Kitty, I have to ask: was that really your only problem with the whole thing?