InsaneJournal

Lucifer hadn't even considered that his original statement would throw anyone off merely by coming from him. But he was the devil, and it struck him as odd that he'd adjusted back to a less obvious existence as such on earth despite his best efforts to get people to believe him.

Here, however, people did assume he was telling the truth so he could see where Lara may have been alarmed. However, he wasn't meeting with her to talk about himself… too much, at least. Instead there was someone else to discuss.

He was watching for Lara and spotted her immediately when she entered the Lounge, nodding as she spotted him. He waited until she'd taken a seat at the bar and then asked, "What sort of drink do you need to prepare you for this conversation?"

There wasn't anything wrong with him being the devil. She remembered him being around before so mostly it had been just a little surprise and maybe a little amusement. And certainly some curiosity.

"I suppose that depends on what we'll be talking about," Lara replied, smiling easily as she slid into a stool. "Lets start with a scotch."

Scotch was a worthy choice and Lucifer found a bottle and poured Lara a glass, sliding it across the bar, before looking directly at her and maintaining eye contact. "Right," he said, deciding to get right on with it. "Tell me what it is that you desire."

It was entirely possible that they could skip the small talk and get right to the point, depending on her answer.

“Honestly, I could really go for a biscuit right now,” Lara replied, flashing him a cheeky smile. But she got the impression there was more weight behind his question than at first glance, and she stopped moving, like she was trying to find an answer. A time machine so she could prevent the shipwreck on Yamatai? The secrets of all the ancient cultures of Earth? Sam? Isabela?

Her jaw trembled and she vaguely resembled a deer in headlights.

"Oh, you're a complicated one," Lucifer said, suddenly finding Lara Croft far more interesting. "That's alright, just go ahead and tell me. What is it, or maybe who is it that you most desire?" He didn't look away, wondering what it was going on in Lara's mind. Omnipotence was never something he desired when compared to the thrill of the chase.

“There’s just… so much. Too much. It’s not a simple question with a simple answer.” Or was it? Time travel could have other consequences. Change history and what if Sam dies? Lara would rather suffer her PTSD than let that happen. And asking for knowledge took all the fun out of her job. Sam, she’d love to see, but at the same time she didn’t want Sam to have to see her darker moments and the times she just wanted to give up. Besides, pining for a girl she knew didn’t love her the same way wasn’t exactly her idea of a good time.

And Isabela? Couldn’t give her what she needed.

“Sometimes I just want everything to stop, and the world to be quiet and calm.” Well, Isabela could give her that, at least.

"Oh, you'd need my brother Amenadiel for that," Lucifer replied, sounding somewhat surprised. "And he'd have to have his powers back which could have happened by now for all I know up here."

He reached for the bottle of scotch and poured himself a glass before adding casually, "When I asked Isabela that question, she said you. I suppose that's not mutual then. That's rather unfortunate, but I think you should be the one to tell her."

“I want her,” Lara blurted, then clapped her hand over her mouth. She coughed, and cleared her throat. “And I know she wants me, but I don’t… I don’t want to tie her down. And I can’t do that open thing.”

"You humans," Lucifer replied. "You desire something but then you're afraid it won't work out, so you never go after it and then it definitely doesn't work out. She's terrified of not being good enough for you, you're afraid she's going to cheat. So what if she does? These things take time. No one's perfect."

He shook his head and took another drink.

"So what are you going to do?"

“I’ve never really thought about her cheating. I just thought she’d be miserable being tied down to one person,” Lara explained. She picked up her drink, looking down into it like it might have answers. “And… I didn’t think she wanted more than just sex. I can’t offer the latter without there being more to it.”

"You're both making a lot of assumptions without talking about it to each other, which is the main ingredient to a relationship, so you might as well start one."

Flashing her a grin, he added, "So I think you know where to start and I'm also going to pick you as more likely to follow up than Isabela. Don't prove me wrong. I hate being wrong."

“And here I thought she’d given up,” Lara said. She knocked back the rest of her drink. She’d killed 423 men, give or take, practically set fire to an island and faced a literal goddess, all while suffering from assorted infections and injuries.

She could have a relationship talk with Isabela. “Wish me luck.”

"Good luck!" Lucifer replied dutifully, his eyes gleaming. He was quite impressed that Lara seemed to have the initiative to actually act on her desires. If only more humans would free themselves to follow her lead.

"Well what are you waiting for? Go on," he prompted.

Once she set her mind on something, she tended to doggedly go for it. She nodded at Lucifer, then got up and left the lounge. She didn’t run, but she certainly looked like she was in a hurry.

What was the worth of a reward without risk?