dadbeatdad | Seasons - Lucifer's Voicemail

Just something to look forward to for future text chains, my Moonlight.

[Lucifer will portal into the entry way exactly thirty minutes later and knocks. At least the security has his DNA now so it shouldn't freak out.]

I'm here~ [He doesn't yell. He knows his love will hear him walk through the portal and his voice rather easily.]

Macaque opens the door almost immediately, and leans forward to give Lucifer a lingering kiss.

"A shame we have business to attend to, isn't it? Can I get you something to drink or snack on before we get started?"

Lucifer happily returns the kiss and runs his gloved hand through Macaque's hair.

"Truly a shame but we can handle pleasure after business. Hmm. You have any apple chips? Those sound yummy right now."

There's a soft purring at the hairstroke. But business, yes, that's the point of this.

"We do. Come on, I'll text Choco to meet us in the kitchen."

He pulls out his phone and sends a quick message to his daughter:

Lucifer is here to discuss your soul issue. We're headed to the kitchen if you want to meet us there.

[ READ …

Approximately twelve seconds later: ]

o(*^▽^*)┛
I'm there!

[ wearing the cutest, coziest cable-knit turtleneck sweater in the most face-punchingly bold shade of orange she could find. and she's already raiding the cupboards for snacks. apple chips! mango chips! strawberry shortcake cookies shaped like li'l snakes! ]

- hey! Thank you for coming!

[Lucifer walks in and makes a happy little noise seeing Korone in that sweater.]

Don't you look cheek-pinching cute today, Choco-chan. Did you make that yourself? And ooooh snack. Awww. I swear, you try to spoil everyone you let come over here. And Satan be damned if you aren't great at it.

"Hey, babygirl." Macaque leans against the counter or of her way like the too cool monkey he is.

"She is very good at spoiling. Too good, considering father's day almost broke me in half."

[ SHE WAS NOT BRACED. ]

I-! T-That's-! [ Ducks halfway behind one wing, flapping a hand at them. Rapid-fire compliments will be the death of her and this time it's from two people at once. Help. ]

You're both wonderful people who deserve to be spoiled, so -

[ Shuffles. Ruffles her wings! ]

Th, thank you ...

Well if there is ANYONE who also deserves spoiling, it is our daughters. You and Charlie both deserve the world with ice cream on top.

[He is so just dad mode right now. And those cute ruffles and wings are just oh so cute. He will take some apple chips and one of those lovely snake shaped cake treats.]

Now. I was told you wanted to ask me about some rather important topics. Ready when you are, I am all ears.

[And he turns into a tiny lucifer bunny with big ears for emphasis as he bunny noms an apple chip. Twitchy nose and all.]

"I quite agree. Besides, I consider it revenge." The best, most fun kind of revenge is a spoiling war.

Macaque scoops up bunny Lucifer and starts petting him with one hand and feeding him apple chips with the other.

"Hey now, ears are my department around here. But nevertheless." He nods at Choco, they're ready when you are.

[ Did Korone just turn more red? Yes. Yes, she sure did, and she is going to hide behind her wing and flappy-hands stim about it. ]

[ Bullies. She's surrounded by bullies. She makes a very quiet grumbly flustered sound, ruffles her wings again as she unburrows, and plops down — still thoroughly pink in the cheeks, fwiw — in the super comfy kitchen island couch nook. ]

Lucifer-ojichan is an adorable menace, I see. [ GRUMBLES. Munches a cookie. And finally, ]

In the last place that kidnapped me, the soul-eating god of nature and conflict and his cultists carved a bunch of rules — objectives and taboos — into me. Positive and negative reinforcers that replenish or drain my soul respectively.

They were s'posed to have been removed before I left; everyone else's were. But, um, my soul was all kinds of swiss cheese at the time for a bunch of reasons ... that may be why they stuck around.

It's not the most ideal situation. Or, um, safe. I've found a way to cover them up, kinda like a shield or a glamour, as a stop-gap.

[ Korone takes a breath, and also another cookie. ]

I want to see if we can use the ninpo to get rid of them for good. [ She has faith in her family and the ninpo. She knows they'll find a way to make it work. But they don't have to muddle through all by themselves anymore. ] ... With adult supervision and guidance from a trusted expert, if you'd be willing-?

[Lucifer is truly a menace and a half. He giggles at the scooping, petting, and feeding. Oh he happily munches those out of Macaque's fingers. Yes, Macaque is King of ears. Doesn't mean he can't also have some ear stuff going on. Just not as good.

Though the happy sort of vibe does fade as he listens. Oh dear. That isn't good, at all. If he ever meets this god of nature and conflict, he'll punch the douchebag in the dick, once for every soul he and his shitty cultists carves rules into their very souls.

Still, getting mad isn't the point. He listens. The ninpo isn't something he understands well but he does understand souls.]

Oh. Me? You mean me. I would be more than happy to supervise. Of course. I am very honored you'd think of me. I know my method of fixing Macaque's soul wasn't something you cared much for. So it means a lot to me. Yes. I will.

"Thank you, love," Macaque says to the bunny in the crook of his arm. "We'd like to try before Wash's heart game, for perhaps obvious reasons."

Someone who wanted to be a Big Asshole who knew that those things were on her soul could do a lot of damage, and Wash would struggle with having done that.

"We'd have to explain the ninpo to you, how it works, but one benefit is that the kids will have access to my magic reserves." It's a big boon in a thing like this.

[ At this point, heartfelt conversations when one of the participants is an adorable bunny is totally normal. Korone's fluster softens into a warm, grateful smile. ] Thank you. So much. It means a lot to me. [ She chuckles, rubbing the back of her head. ] More than I know how to say, really, so … thank you.

— for what it's worth, it's not that I thought there was anything wrong with the way you helped him. [ Just! In case he was worried about that! ]

[ She nods to Macaque. ]

The ninpo is a huge pool of mystic energy connecting the Hamato clan both past and present. Like a lake — a lake with hundreds of tributaries flowing in and out, and dams operated by love, trust, and belief: "You are not alone." [ Thinking about it always punches her in the heart and she is trying super hard not to get all sappy about it right now. ] It can do … so much. Like Dad said, we can share power and energy … and then there's different levels of mindmelding: from sharing present thoughts and such to way, way beyond, like mindscapes and deeper mindscapes like heart games.

[ God, she hopes it won't take another heart game to fix this. GOD, SHE HOPES. ]

I only found out the objectives and taboos were really-for-real still active when Dad n' me used a combination of the ninpo and his magic to check on another issue. One of my objectives triggered and he was able to sense it.

I mean it sounds like you have all the tools and support you need to fix the issue. And I will supervise and offer any advice or knowledge you need. Between this Ninpo and your father's magical energies, I can't think of anything that would go wrong. Running out of energy won't be a problem.

[No doubt in Lucifer's mind anyway. Choco and her family have that way about them of finding an answer, one way or another. Especially with everything they had all been through. He's very happy to be included, if the happy little bunny tail wags are any indication.]

And it makes sense to resolve this before Wash's Heart Game. Best to remove as many bullets from his gun as possible, I believe the saying is.

"Good, then." Macaque pets the bunny in his arm gratefully and feeds him more apple chips.

"If you were going about this task yourself, how would you do it? The more direction we have, it can only be helpful."

[ Bunnicifer is too cute to be legal. ]

That's good to hear. [ Korone pulls a plush cat (charcoal gray, with one red ear, one blue ear, and adorable yellow beans and nose) out of a shadow portal to cuddle. ]

… Do you think there's any chance this — [ she uses Ringo's paw to gesture at her wings ] might cause an issue somehow? My pigeon traits originated from Imeeji, and they weren't s'posed to be permanent or anywhere near this extensive. I think they, like the objectives and taboos, stuck around because of my swiss cheese soul situation. … Ah — not that I wanna get rid of them! I wouldn't even if I could; they're too important to me.

[ Like, it's probably fine! But if there are any potential crossed wires (crossed ... swiss cheese??), she'd rather consider them early ]

[Bunnicifer is probably illegal in at least 35 states and London. Still, he is being so cute as he enjoys more pets and just noms his apple crisps. So so good.]

Hmm. Well if I was going to do it, I would focus on outlining exactly what space of your soul these taboos and objectives take up. That way you can leave the rest of the soul untouched, for the most part. Your wings and such, unless they've become tied to the objectives and taboos, shouldn't be affected thankfully. I wouldn't see them causing a problem. Especially if they've integrated as part of you while these objectives and taboos you talk about like they're outside you. Not internalized into your personhood.

I would have you try to reinforce that with thoughts and meditation. You are not the objectives and taboos and they are not you. That should help make it easier for the Ninpo to remove them. Externalize them as best you can.

Hmm.

"Choco, would Lucifer helping with guided meditation be workable for you? No actual work on your soul, just words and preparation. I think that might be the best way to get ready."

They're … [ a pause, with the thoughtful air of someone gingerly poking something strange with a stick ] … not tied to them, just affected by them? Mm.

[ Not internalised into your personhood. They're not her and she isn't them. Of course. She agrees, always has; they don't get to define who she is or what she does. ]

[ (So why did she—?) ]

[ She gives Ringo a tighter squish for four seconds. ]

It sounds like a good idea. … Yeah. I'm okay with it. We'll probably step on a few rakes along the way, but — we can deal with that. [ We as in the three of them sitting in the kitchen, or we as in them? Excellent question. ]

I would be glad to do that, yes. We can. Um. Rakes? As in...? We might hit a few issues during the guided mediation? Okay. We can have snacks and things around and a phrase or sign when we need to disconnect and stop.

Would any of them perhaps activate while trying to separate your personhood from them? I suppose we should think about that first. I don't want to activate and possibly have the opposite affect than what we're trying to accomplish.

"Possibly rakes as in she has a lot of triggers and sometimes they get grazed." He's done this with Choco, after all. "But a trusted person being willing to stop or pause can make all the difference."

He nods at Lucifer's assessment. "Better for that separation issue to happen in guided meditation than when we're trying the real thing. Workarounds are always an option if we know the pitfalls."

Rakes as in … [ She nods. A few issues is potentially an Understatement, and Papaque knows the score. ] Yeah, pretty much.

[ Her legs swing lightly, gently, beneath the table. Swing, swing. ]

I have some identity issues. [ She gives Ringo another measured squeeze—relax—squeeze—relax, centering herself, even as her gaze slides away from Macaque and Lucifer. ] … DID, essentially. And it's — [ She wiggles one wing in lieu of a handwave-y gesture. Give her a moment, she's looking for A) the right words and B) the right order to put them in. ]

Um.

[ H. Hmmm. ]

… So, um, thinking about it — I think the objectives and taboos might be mine? [ Another Ringo squish for the road! ] Or, um. 'Mine'. Inverted commas. … Like — electrical wiring, it runs through the whole house but there's a central fuse box in one room?

[ She pauses a moment, legs still swinging. ]

[ Taps her toes against the floor. Shakes her head as if to clear it, and looks back at the two of them. ]

Less personhood … more identity. [ Which in some cases is maybe probably at least slightly tied to personhood. Maybe. ] The big taboo is our original's name, and it's tied directly to Epsilon. There was a long time where I could barely think about color associations without slipping in a bad way. It's more manageable now, between the heart game, therapy, and learning to … think around things really carefully?

… All that to say — while that taboo won't actually activate, taking our time with guided meditation would be for the best. I can teach you some of the signs I use when I know I'm getting stuck. And Dad's amazing — he's really, really good at recognising what's happening and helping me out. [ Sometimes she doesn't know she's slipping or falling until it's already happened. It sucks! But her papa is wonderful and incredible and she loves him very, very much. ]

Oh. Okay. Rakes. Hmm. Alright. The taboos were external and tied to parts of identity but they are added and are tied to aspects of her identities? Yes? Is that about right as I am understanding you. Each of your identities are part of your personhood. Like the trinity.

How familiar are you with Christianity, Choco-chan? Just to make sure. But yes. I think guided medication, signs and me learning that, and us taking it nice and slow. Working at your pace, whatever that ends up being.

It won't be simple but I know we can get through it so you're primed for the Ninpo when you're all ready to try. There's too much support in his house to fail, if you ask me.

Macaque blinks a few times, going still for a second when Epsilon is mentioned. Sometimes it bothers him a little, sometimes not, but it's a minor detour. He has bigger things to focus on.

He blinks again, though for a different reason, when the trinity is mentioned. It's sure a comparison.

"We've done some explorations that went reasonably well, and Lucifer is nothing if not careful." It'll be fine.

Of course Macaque is going to be a little nervous at subjecting his precious daughter to anything that might hurt, but it's necessary.

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