maskormenace | Video;

[ 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!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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

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

They're still people. Kids.

It's not like you actually like them.

I really, really don't. But just because I don't like something doesn't mean I have to kill it--case in point.

[Dean's silent for a beat, pressing his lips into a line and glowering while he tries to figure out if that was some kind of dig at hunters or really just Lucifer pointing out that he hadn't blown up the kid on TV for being stupid enough to fuck with the Devil.]

All I know is that you didn't kill him on camera.

How many people are actually buying this whole "goodwill to all men" crap?

The child is fine, Dean. I'm not using him for a spell, I'm not summoning Death back into the world. It was an advertisement. [ He tipped his head. ] You have bias, of course. Immense bias.

Fine. So you didn't kill the kid. [That, he'll take at face value. For now. Taking out a family wasn't exactly something that would line up with the "good guy" image Lucifer was going for here.]

You're seriously trying to tell me you've turned over a new leaf after trying to jump start the apocalypse back home? Hate to break it to you, but I'm not buying it. Whatever's going on here? You've got some hidden agenda. And it's not helping people out of the supposed goodness of your heart.

Cruel, vicious insinuations. How can you possibly think that I have some sort of agenda?

Oh wait, because you're you and I'm me. Now let's think--what could I possibly do? I suppose I could try to take over the world, but why bother? What would I do with it? I could... I could kill every single irritating little ape ever beget, but that would just leave me and Bambi.

I like Bambi, and everything, but his company would get dull very quickly.

Cute.

I know you have an agenda. You're not just playing mister nice guy for nothing here, so what's your angle? Let's say you do t want to take over the world. It's not like you actually want to make it a better place for humans. That's not really your style. Hell, I wouldn't believe that from most of the winged asshats I've met and you're at the bottom of the barrel.

Edited 2015-12-29 16:50 (UTC)

You're hardly much better yourself, Dean. Who is it that broke my Cage open again?

[ He tilts his head. ] I suppose if I did take over the world, I'd kill anyone who didn't bow to me, and then reward the rest. As good a solution to the problem of overpopulation as any other. Of course, that is what's written in Revelations.

[ Private ]

My ambition, Dean, is autonomy. I don't want the be under the thumb of this world's American government, or any other. Is that good enough of an angle for you?

[Technically Sam had been the one who'd broken the last seal, but Dean had been the first seal. He grits his teeth together, doesn't answer the question. It isn't like Lucifer doesn't already know what went down.

Surprise shows on his face at that last confession before he can stop it, a frown creasing his brow.]

Is that what you're telling your followers? [Because that? It was a cause that he could see people willing to stand behind. Hell, he'd be willing to stand behind it if it weren't for the damn Devil being the one leading the charge.]

I'm telling it to them if I'm asked.

Look at it like this. I give them every hope that they can have for success, all the help I can muster, and they flourish. They become famous, they gain their own followings. The more of us have autonomy, the more power we have, even if it's just as a force equipped with various powers, the stronger we are.

That's 'the catch', Dean. Loyalty. Hard to imagine, I know, but do you see a legion of angels willing to stand at my side against the world? You take allies where you can find them.

Great. So there are people just blindly following you. What'd you tell them? That you were gonna call in some favor eventually? Well, I guess it's a small step about a crossroads deal.

As far as I know? You're the only angel here. And the others that've been here? They wouldn't fight with you.

[But Lucifer still has a point about this entire thing and Dean hates that. Hates that his logic makes some sense here,]

I invented the crossroads deal, Dean. Your own ancestor took mine, and murdered his own brother.

And yes, that is my point, Dean. Angels aren't available, which unfortunately leaves me to depend on the likes of you. Wouldn't you prefer that, in the long run? I could guarantee protection for those friends of yours--for your brother if he comes back.

[There's a moment of hesitation at the mention of guaranteeing safety for his friends. For Sam. But throwing in with the devil for that protection? It was a bad idea, even if it was tempting.]

So what? I'd be at your beck and call? Working for you? I don't think so.

No, Dean, but you'd have my help. You don't want to be registered? I'll help you to disappear. That's what I can do for you.

In return, all I ask - all I ask - is that if and when the government turns against us, I lead. I am a leader, Dean. A commander of armies.

But why don't you sleep on it?

My answer's still No.

Just how many people are in this army of yours?

Video;

Video;

Video;

Video;

Video;

Video;

Video;

Video;

Video;

Video;

Video;

Video; Private

Video; Private

Video; Private

Video; Private

Video; Private

Re: Video; Private

Video; Private