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Lucifer slides into one of LUX's few quieter booths across from a pretty man of mixed Japanese descent.
The angel had glimpsed the man on his way to talk to one of his dancers. The striking blue of the man’s gaze had made him decide to postpone such a talk, causing Lucifer to grab one of his favorite drinks and slide into the man’s metaphorical DMs.
Up close, the brunet was the epitome of a bored looking CEO type if he’d ever seen one, and he’d seen plenty, winding down with a glass of whiskey.
Activating his devil eyes as he meets the other man’s icy glare, the club owner purrs, “Hello there-”
“No.”
Lucifer blinks, but tries again. Maybe it was a fluke. “Why, my dear-“
“No.”
The devil’s smile falters. “But-“
“I’ve already dealt with one mythical immortal being,” the blue eyed man glares, “I’m not taking my chances with another.”
Lucifer sighs, leaning back into the cushions behind him as he takes a drink of his scotch. “Well you’re no fun,” he pouts.
The young man snorts. “So I've been told.” He takes a swig of his own drink.
In the silence that follows, Lucifer lets his gaze trail lazily over the business man in front of him. He is dressed in a crisp white suit and a blue tie that matches his eyes, looking out over LUX.
He looks familiar.
But that’s not surprising. The devil has seen more than a few humans during his immortal lifetime. But it seems more recent than that. More pressing. More niggling in the back of his mind.
He knew this person. This person wasn’t just anyone.
Well, obviously not if he could shrug off Lucifer’s devil eyes.
Not another miracle put in his path like his detective was…
Something else…
Someone else…
Someone he saw on TV, perhaps?
Very suddenly, the answer strikes him like a bolt of lightning.
“You’re Seto Kaiba,” Lucifer says. “Or Kaiba-sama. Whichever you prefer, really.”
The CEO just takes another sip of his drink.
They descend into silence once more as the devil ponders this new epiphany.
No wonder why the man seated before him knew who Lucifer was. The CEO of Kaiba Corporation was notoriously paranoid. Of course he would know the names and general reputation of the club owner who’s club he’d chosen to unwind in.
Apparently those rumors of Japan’s foremost gaming company possibly opening up a new location state side had some truth to them. Perhaps Lucifer should buy some more stocks in the business if things were doing that well.
Come to think of it, the gaming part of the company Kaiba ran was rather instrumental in bringing back the popularity of the monsters and demons summoned in ancient rituals founded in Ancient Egypt. ‘Games’ like Duel Monsters connect humans to the Shadow Realm, a special dimension attached to, and not altogether separate from, Hell.
The CEO himself had a soul that felt as old as such a game. Lucifer’s powers allow him to see that much. What that meant, though, was hard to say.
A reincarnation of a certain soul with a special connection to the ‘game’ of summoning that those old Egyptians so enjoyed?
Or just a coincidence?
No, the man wouldn’t be able to shrug off Lucifer’s powers if he didn’t have some sort of connection to those old rituals and, perhaps even, cursed artifacts. It would also explain the mention of meeting another immortal being.
Off the top of the devil’s head, he could think of several old ‘gods’ that would leap at a chance to come up topside through a supposed ‘children’s card game’. Honestly, when would companies stop licensing ritual items that are supposed to summon evil, otherworldly beings as being ‘for children’? Seriously?!
At least Kaiba Corporation seemed to be trying to legitimize the ‘game’ as being for adults. At least that was more the correct demographic. Not that there really should be a demographic at all for these types of things…
But at least they weren’t all out slaying chickens and goats in his honor like most demonic rituals called for. Various forms of paper stock and cardboard were much more sanitary, all things considered.
Finally, Lucifer finds he can stand the silence between them no longer.
“Okay. But, who was it?” he asks as he sits up straighter in his seat. “You can tell me, darling. Which ‘god’ came topside for a little vacay? I won’t kiss and tell.”
Kaiba just gives him a very unimpressed look. “Are you telling me to put my trust in the devil?”
“Why?” comes Lucifer’s usual flippant response. “You’re not religious are you? Afraid you’ll affront my old man?”
“Atheist, actually.”
“Yet, you believe my self-acclaimed title of Devil?”
“Was I not supposed to when I’ve already met a supposed god?”
“Believe me but still have no faith?” Lucifer laughs. “Father, I love a good atheist!” he crows.
After a moment to collect himself, the devil continues with his query, “Now, you said a god, was it? Which one?”
Kaiba takes a rough pull of his whiskey before replying, “Anubis.”
“Anubis?!” Lucifer gapes. He was fairly certain he’d condemned that particular immortal to the depths of Hell personally.
“He escaped?! When?!” he asks with no little outrage. “And how did I not know about this?!”
The human seated before him doesn’t look the least bit phased by the ruler of hell’s lapse in governance. “Don’t worry, he didn’t get a chance to stick around long.”
“Good!” Lucifer nods decisively before taking a large swallow of his chosen drink. “Serves that bastard right!”
Kaiba raises an eyebrow. “You’re not mad at him being sent back?”
“Why would I be mad?” Didn’t the human just see how upset he was at the fact that old, dog face made an appearance in the mortal world? Or did he think the archangel was just mad he missed the show?
Lucifer decides to explain, “It’s against the rules for the old death gods to return to the land of the living when not actively serving in their duties.”
“Mmm,” the other man hums, taking another sip of his drink, clearly unconvinced.
The devil pouts. “You don’t believe me?”
“I believe about as much of this as I believe in celebrating Christmas, which is to say, not at all.”
“But you still believe me at my word that I am the Devil.”
Kaiba sighs. “I believe you're a man who is very good at supposedly getting what he wants and that appeared only a few years ago, seemingly out of thin air. You can do any and all illegal substances known to man and still wake up in the morning. For all intents and purposes, you appear inhuman, but not any less fallible than the rest of us mortals."
“Mmm, some would say more.”
Kaiba clearly doesn't think that’s worthy of a response, and they lapse back into silence once more, both men savoring their alcohol.
Once again, the devil breaks the quiet.
“It’s not true, you know.”
“Hm?”
“Me being good at getting what I want,” he says. “I mean, it is, but I don’t—I haven’t been able to get the things that really matter and I can’t hold on to them for long once I do.”
Kaiba just stares at him. “Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?”
“No—well, a little sympathy wouldn’t hurt from the collective daddy issues club,” because, yes, Lucifer has heard the rumors of the late Gozoboro Kaiba, “but that’s not the point!” Though the businessman’s glare would beg to differ.
“The point is, that’s why people like you are so interesting!”
“People like me?”
“People who believe in the impossible while simultaneously not. People like my detective!”
“Decker?”
“Yes! Exactly! Very helpful, you being hot and stalkery, paranoid enough to do your own research for even leisurely activities, I must admit, as much as I find it highly disturbing.
“You both see me as I am and yet don’t. And you both refuse to give me what I want. My devil eyes simply don’t work on you.”
“Your what?”
Lucifer waves his hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t worry that big brain of yours. As I said, they’re not working.” Kaiba takes one last swallow of his drink as Lucifer continues, “Anyway-”
“Time's up,” the other man announces, setting down his now empty glass on the table between them.
“What?!” the devil inelegantly squawks.
“I have a meeting to get to,” the brunet says as he stands up from his seat and starts to button up his suit jacket.
“At,” the devil looks at his watch, “ten o’clock at night?” He shrugs his sleeve back into place. “I beg to differ, my dear! If you wanted an out, all you had to say is ‘when’.”
The other man has the audacity to coldly meet Lucifer’s gaze and say, “When.”
The consulting detective deflates. “Now that’s just rude.”
Without missing a beat, Kaiba replies, “I wanted out of this conversation as soon as it started.”
“Alright,” Lucifer says, “no need to rub salt In the metaphorical wound.” He takes a long pull from his own drink of choice. “I get it. No immortal beings associated with death for you. Just dragons.”
Kaiba raises an eyebrow.
“No,” Lucifer sighs, bringing one hand to rub at his forehead in exasperation, “I do not know of any real life dragons. They all went extinct not long after the dinosaurs unless brought back to life by other means, which you clearly have discovered.”
The tall brunet turns away from him. “I don’t know what you're talking about.”
“No, of course not,” Lucifer says, holding his glass up with its remaining liquid to the club lights, watching how the brightness refracts through the glass, glinting and glittering in a brilliant showing of his creation. “Keep your secrets as I’ll keep my company then.” He takes one last swig from his drink, feeling rather melancholy all of the sudden.
“Now off you pop.”