The Perk, Monday Morning

[my_own_advocate]

Not only did Lucifer have to deal with a child in his living space, it was a child that could control minds and barely seemed to realize when she was doing it. Which meant he wasn't particularly inclined to leave the ship in case she tried to use it on Duke again, meaning he had to spend more time around the child.

Maddening.

Worse, he was reduced to this: sneaking off the boat early in the morning to go purchase a chocolate shake to go at the Perk, twitchy the entire time.

He was going to spike the Hell out of this beverage as soon as the barista was done with it.

The barista did not seem impressed by his glaring.

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Comments

[of_tea_and_tragedies]

Having abandoned his mothers for a while - he was after all not a child anymore - Sheridan Thomas Sharpe found his way to the Perk, which he knew to be a place that sold hot beverages as well as baked goods.

"Excuse me, do you by any chance serve good tea. Preferably black."

Perhaps it was the fact that the kid wore black lace gloves that made the barista ask:

"Loose leaf?"

Sheridan gave the barista a surprised look. "Why would I ask for anything else? Tea is the the best company for a good book, don't you think? Especially poetry."

He had found a few volumes in Lucille's library that he hadn't read.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer shot a glance in the direction of the new child that had appeared. Sigh. Did they have to be everywhere?

"That one's Radchaai, obviously," he told the barista.

[of_tea_and_tragedies]

Sheridan heard that of course. "From the Republic of Two Systems," he clarified, because it was important. No one, not even a random person in Fandom, shout get to believe that his mothers were working of Anaander Mianaai. Any of them.

He bowed, with a bit more flourish than most Radchaai. "Sheridan Thomas Sharpe, a pleasure to meet you."

It might or might not be a pleasure, Sheridan left that open.

"Tea is much appreciated where my other mother is from too, by the way."

Considering that the kid looked like the mix of a Radchaai, a goth and someone really into 19th century men's fashion, all that might be enough clues to his parentage.

[my_own_advocate]

Well, there was the name. And Lucifer assumed any offspring of Seivarden's would be more irritating than this child was at present. "Right, you're Lucille's, then?" he asked.

[of_tea_and_tragedies]

"You know my mother?" he asked. "We do visit occasionally, but my universe is different of course, although my mothers tell me quite a few things are similar in the universe where we live. Intriguing, isn't it?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Not particularly, that's just how alternate universes work," Lucifer said. He eyed the barista again.

She didn't seem in any rush to make his drink.

"She comes by my club to play piano some days."

[of_tea_and_tragedies]

"She does?" Sheridan asked, curious enough to ignore Lucifer's first comment for now. "She taught me to play. The piano is the instrument I find best suited to expressing things that is hard even to find in poetry."

He took these things really seriously.

[my_own_advocate]

"That's because it is, obviously," Lucifer said, finally bothering to look at the child again. "Poetry still has the clumsiness of words, but the piano is always elegant."

[of_tea_and_tragedies]

That meant he deserved a smile. "I do love poetry too, but music truly reaches the depths of truth. And passion."

All this was very important to Sheridan, and his eyes lit up when he talked about it.

"I don't believe I caught your name."

[okteiviakom]

This weekend had thrown Octavia right back into survival mode, which meant... cutting out just about everything that wasn't related to making sure Hope had everything she needed. That hadn't meant she hadn't wondered how things were going on the Rouge, especially once she'd had enough time to process to actually realize who Ginger was, but she hadn't had the energy to spare to do anything about it.

Duke had Lucifer, anyway.

(Everyone was taking care of their own.)

But, maybe it was the calm at the beach that finally had her sending Lucifer a text. How is everything going?

[my_own_advocate]

I hate children, Lucifer texted back, predictably. Especially mind-controlling brats with abandonment issues.

[okteiviakom]

That was extremely predictable, yes.

Has she been good?

[my_own_advocate]

Well she hasn't melted Duke's brain in at least 36 hours.

There may be an ongoing tug of war about food in progress, though.

How's yours?

[okteiviakom]

Good, Octavia typed, mostly on reflex. Then she lowered her phone again, to watch Hope for a moment.

The girl was currently busy shaping a garden annex on one side of the sand castle. There were rows for planting seeds and everything.

What Octavia ended up sending was, Shes good

[my_own_advocate]

She didnt seem too loud at least. High praise, coming from Lucifer! You doing all right dealing with her all on your own?

[okteiviakom]

Yes

If only because her drive to soldier on by herself was particularly easy to engage right now. But, details!

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer eyed his phone for a long moment.

mind if i stop by after they all leave to wherever they came from?

[lackingmaternalguidance]

"You want coffee?" Jessica asked Dani as they walked into the Perk.

Danielle just gave her a look. "I'm a kid."

"So?"

Danielle sighed again. "Kids shouldn't drink coffee," she replied.

"Why the fuck not?" Jessica asked and then groaned as Dani pulled out the swear jar. "Stop it with that shit."

Danielle's eyerolling was epic. That is until she spotted familiar across the coffee shop.

"Hey! It's uncle Lucy!" she said happily and proceeded to wave at him. "How you doing, Luce?"

[my_own_advocate]

"I'm fine," Lucifer started, turned towards the noise, and then saw the child. "What did you just call-- No."

[superjoanjett]

"Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction Saturday morning," Jessica said with huff as she approached the barista. "Except she called me Mom. Give me two coffees."

"I'm not having coffee," Danielle reminded her before turning back to Lucifer. "Don't worry. I know the rules and I won't even try to touch you."

[my_own_advocate]

"Well," Lucifer, who had already raised his hands self-protectively, said, "Good."

He eyed Jessica warily. "Do you need whiskey for your coffee?"

He didn't understand how anyone could make it through this weekend without spiking their beverages.

[lackingmaternalguidance]

"She doesn't," Danielle said firmly.

"Yes I do!" Jessica said giving her kid a look before turning back to the barista. "Just giver some chocolate whipped sugary bullshit thing."

"I don't like sweets," Danielle replied.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Jessica asked looking frustrated and then groaning when Danielle held out the swear jar. "Lucifer, this is my daughter Danielle Cage. Her father and I were... something."

"I an also beat your butt when it comes to Monopoly Uncle Lucifer," Danielle informed him.

[my_own_advocate]

"Stop calling me that," Lucifer said automatically. Still holding those hands up to protect himself. "And your mother is grown, she can drink whatever she wants to."

[superjoanjett]

"You both have funny ideas of what it means to be grown," Danielle snarked.

Jessica turned and gave her 'daughter' a withering look.

"Oh, please," Dani declared. "Drink what you want. Never stopped you before."

Jessica sighed and gave Lucifer a defeated look. "I'll skip the Irish today," she stated and shoved a chocolate chip frappe-whatever at Danielle.

"I don't like sweets," Dani repeated.

"Just drink it," Jessica snarked back and made her way over to Lucifer. "It's been like this all weekend," she said putting her uncovered coffee on the table in front of Lucifer.

Hey. If some whiskey 'spilled' into them, she was not going to complain.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer glanced up at her face just to make sure she was implying what he thought she was implying with that coffee.

"I am so terribly sorry," he said. "Though at least you're responding rationally to this entire terrible situation."