OOM: L.A. - Earth 666, noon

[wayward_sun]

It's a strange mix of painfully bright sun and hazy smog that greets them as they step through the door and onto a scalding pavement.

The neighbourhood seems a bit seedy, but nobody seems tempted to get too close to the sleek, red Corvette that's parked a couple of steps away.

"So, lunch, clothes shopping, dinner?" Lucifer asks brightly as he fishes out his car keys.

Comments

[sunbaked_baker]

The sunlight hits her like a weighted blanket as she steps through into the gloriously bright day.

"Sounds like a brilliant plan," she agrees, grinning.

"Shiva wept, what a car." No wonder it had pained him to hear of what passes for vehicular transportation in her life.

[wayward_sun]

Now, that's the kind of reaction, he likes when it comes to his ride.

"It's a great, little car," he says, patting it affectionately as he opens the door for her. "I hope you like going fast."

It's city streets with city traffic. L.A. traffic. Anybody else saying it would likely be joking.

Lucifer, however, drives like he is immortal. And he likes going fast.

"I'm thinking we could head towards Melrose. There's a nice, little Mexican place. Fully vegetarian, outside seating and 100 different tequilas. Literally."

Also, it's definitely nice but not insanely fancy or trendy.

He's really tried to put thought into this.

" Gracias Madre, it's called."

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine grins at Lucifer as she gets in. "Oh, I'm fine with fast. At certain speeds you've got to either hang on tight or just let go."

The thought has occurred to her before that Lucifer and Mel would get along. Even despite Lucifer's expensive wardrobe. Speed demons(so to speak), the both of them.

"And that sounds like a fantastic plan for lunch." New foods and drinks to try in the bright outdoors. "I haven't had much experience with Mexican food, so it'll be nice to get to know it better."

[wayward_sun]

He grins.

"Perfect. And you'll love the food. It's colourful and brimming with flavour."

They're a bit heavy on the whole Mother symbolism thing they've got going but the trendier place at Melrosen have named all their dishes like affirmations and that is just a step too far.

They get in and head off while Lucifer chattily points out various places of interest. Very broadly speaking.

Places where famous people hang out, places where he's helped solve crimes, places where you can get fabulous shoes, great coffee, the worst cheeseburger. Places where he just likes the look of the buildings or one particular window.

All the while going casually quite above the speed limit.

[sunbaked_baker]

The Corvette is a far smoother ride than any of Mel's motorcycles, including the antique Griffon which was only ever for special occasions, but the feeling of speed is the same. Sunshine enjoys it, the wind and the bright heat of the sun, and the delightful look into Lucifer's LA - the pieces of the city that matter, which he enjoys or appreciates enough to mention. She occasionally asks questions - asking after his cases, about the famous names unfamiliar to her, and remarking how the architecture of LA is far different from the older, somewhat squished-in (and sometimes crumbling) buildings of New Arcadia's Old Town.

"You're between cases at the moment?"

[wayward_sun]

"Yes. But no for long I suspect. No rest for the wicked and all that."

He gives her a grin.

"Right, we're almost there. And look at that. A parking spot. Just there waiting for us."

Can celestials manifest free parking spots where none should rightly be?

Could be.

He parks and gets out, stretching a little.

"I hope you're worked up an appetite?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"They clearly knew we were coming," she chuckles, because a free parking spot, during the lunch rush? Dare she say it's a miracle?

Sunshine gets out of the car, grinning at his question. "Famished!"

She hasn't eaten yet today.

[wayward_sun]

They make their way to the entrance where Lucifer is greeted enthusiastically by one of the owners.

Something about a favor and mi casa su casa.

Or in this case, the best spot on the patio. Slightly hidden by a large tree but with full view of practically all the other tables.

The benches are filled with colourful blankets and pillows, there are artfully mismatched plates and glasses on the table and the waiter arrives with the menu, the drinks card and snacks for the table just as they sit down.

"They needed a loan to open the second branch," Lucifer tells her.

[sunbaked_baker]

"I hope it's doing as well as this location," Sunshine remarks, looking around at the bustling lunch rush as she takes a seat. She loves the warmth and variety of the colors used in the pillows and plates, and looks quite at home among them. "And I'm glad you were able to help them. I remember hearing about Charlie's difficulties when he was first trying to get the coffeehouse opened. The banks didn't think Old Town was a good location to invest in. It can be hard for even a good-quality place to find a firm footing."

[wayward_sun]

"Yeah, it can be a pain," he agrees, lounging.

He does lounge very well.

"I do that a lot. Favours."
He says it off-handedly, but he does look over to gauge her reaction.

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine looks at him, head slightly tilted. He does lounge quite well. "You've mentioned that before, doing favours."

And he's specifically mentioned not doing them in Milliways.

"It can be a good feeling, to be in a position to help someone in a tight spot," she remarks. "And favours can be a powerful currency."

She may not keep such ledgers, herself, but Lucifer isn't the only one she has run into who does.

[wayward_sun]

"Yes, they can be. And it's really quite useful,knowing people who can get you a table or a front seat or a deal on a used chopper."

He looks over the drinks card, reaching for a small handful of toasted nuts.

"We should get the taste board."
He's talking about the tequila.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Or who would be willing to go to bat for you to their superiors in the precinct, despite unusual circumstances," she agrees, wry, speaking from experience. Sunshine might not keep tabs on favors done or owed, but she has experienced the benefit of someone feeling that they owe you. A favor owed can save your life.

"We should," she agrees, peering at the drinks menu with him. "I need to get to know tequila better. The stuff we can get in New Arcadia is only so-so, and - oof - that's a selection and a half."

However does one choose?

[wayward_sun]

"We'll be having the taste board," Lucifer tells the approaching waiter. "And a selection of snacks. "And -" he looks at Sunshine -"surprise us? Are you up for that?"

When the choices are too many, just go for random. And a lot.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Always," she agrees wholeheartedly, smiling at Lucifer, then up at their waiter. "Anything we especially shouldn't miss."

Sunshine doubts she she will ever make it to her world's Los Angeles, what there is of it, and she will not assume such an escape as this will be offered again.

[wayward_sun]

He'd be confused as to why she'd think he wouldn't want to bring her again.

But he would also be likely to forget about it unless it was a explicit promise.

But it doesn't occur to him and so he merely leans back, smiling, as the waiter leaves, only to return with two boards with shots glasses and an assortment of small, colorful bowls and plates, filled with dips, nacho chips, various vegetables cut and arranged with a careful eye for a pleasing display.

"We might be able to squeeze in a trip to the beach as well," he muses.

[sunbaked_baker]

She would find to difficult to explain, that she doesn't think Lucifer wouldn't offer another visit - just that Sunshine has lost the habit of assuming she will get the chance to do anything twice. A lot can happen between sunset and sunrise, in her experience. She knows the likelihood of there being a night she doesn't walk away from.

But they are here, now, in the sunlight and warmth, and there are good foods and intriguing tequilas to try. Sunshine can't help but be curious, and asks the waiter what the various dips and sauces are called (for future reference, of course).

"That would be lovely," she replies to Lucifer, thinking of the beach. "Milliways hardly counts, and the last time I visited the beach in my world, I was... fifteen?"

The years of the Wars blend together, and not just because of the drugs.

"Back then we could still sometimes drag Charlie away from the coffeehouse. It was a long drive, though, and I spent it telling stories to my little brothers to keep them entertained."

[wayward_sun]

When you're a celestial being, carpe diem is in some ways just a phrase.

Even if you're slowly getting used to the notion of not being indestructible for ever and ever.

"I bet you were an awesome sister," Lucifer replies. "Lucky them."

Not like the sibling experience he'd had to endure.

"And that settles it. Nobody should go that ling without e beach experience. That just won't do - oh, there's the food."

More plates and bowls and board arrive, piled high with fragrant, steaming hot food. In every sense of the word.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Oh, that smells good," Sunshine sighs, smiling as the waiter brings the food.

"My brothers and I pretty good now - Kenny recently asked me for my apple pie recipe, as he has a date he wants to impress - but I could've been a better sister when we were younger," she replies, wry. It was a hard time to be old enough to know how bad the situation was, but not old enough to do anything about it. "When I was seventeen, Billy and Kenny walked in on me and my then-boyfriend, and ran around the house yelling 'Big Sissy Kissy Kissy!" at the top of their lungs."

"I was very lucky they hadn't walked in a little while later than they had, so to discourage that kind of fraternal behavior, I went in and destroyed every last save file for their combox games. They didn't speak to me for months, and by the time we started speaking again I had graduated and was moving out."

[wayward_sun]

He grins.

"That sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Snitches get stitches. Or deleted files if that hurts more."

He leans over to pick a couple of tiny tacos from a plate.

You need a certain level of confidence to eat that sort of thing while wearing a suit. And a white shirt.

Lucifer has that. And the dexterity yo back it up.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Weirdly enough, I think Kenny and I are closer now that he's gone off to college," she muses, picking out a taco for herself. "Some distance helps put things in perspective, I guess. We exchange cosmails nearly every week."

Sunshine has much more confidence in her ability to get stains out of clothes than she has in her ability to each tacos neatly, so she is careful to keep the taco over the plate as she tries it.

"Mmmph!" Sunshine's reaction is emphatic if not terribly eloquent while her mouth is full. That is delicious. Hot and flavorful and inspiring.

"Shiva wept, that's good," she manages eventually. "The warm corn tortilla, the onions and peppers and grilled corn and black beans - just enough cilantro, and a kick of lime and salt, all together..."

So. Good.

[wayward_sun]

"I know." He's delighted that she is delighted.

"And I guess you're right. They do say that distance makes the heart grow fonder. And it allows you to forget how super annoying people are. But then they show up and you remember again."

He smiles. Brightly.

Not, not, not thinking about wings.

"Now, how about a shot to go with this?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Sometimes it's like that," she nods, amused, "And sometimes you can strike a balance. I do begrudgingly love my mother and I know she loves me in her own way, and so long as we don't have to talk to one another we can usually keep from fighting."

For being too controlling and too rebellious, respectively.

Sunshine shakes her head, wry, and picks up a shot of tequila. "Cheers, Lucifer."

[wayward_sun]

"Salud," he replies and downs the shot.

That hit a spot.

"And I suppose that's a solution. If the other party is willing to play along."

[sunbaked_baker]

"True," she agrees, letting out a satisfied breath through the tequila fumes.

There's an inherent problem in that even an informal agreement of no communication requires some communication between the involved parties in the first place.

"You're still enjoying your consulting gig?" Sunshine asks, snagging a fresh tortilla chip and trying one of the intriguingly unfamiliar sauces... which she quickly decides she is going to have to get the recipe for.