Reality doesn’t always give us the life that we desire

[magicalarchaeologist]

WHO: Istredd and anyone!
WHAT: Catch-all for April
WHERE: Thorne, Horizon
WHEN: EARLY April for now, will put later prompts up as time goes on
WARNINGS: PTSD from the event, NSFW thread in comments





Starters Below!

If you want a specific starter message waftingcurtains on plurk or go wildcard!

Comments

Around the Castle

[magicalarchaeologist]

Genuinely one of the worst things he could have asked for after stepping back into Thorne is the excited attention and 'show of fanfare' from the castle toward him. Istredd is not comfortable with this when he's feeling good so he for certain wishes he came earlier or when no one was around. He slinks away as quickly as possible because he is not as medically bad as the others. He insists on just going back to his room.

It feels better when he is back in their warded room. Istredd can feel the protections he's designed and made with Lucifer around him and it makes it all more real that he is there. For the first few days, Istredd rarely leaves the room. He takes meals in there if he wants to eat at all, and he knows he should but his appetite is not doing great. He has already lost weight but after nearly starving and eating unhealthy things, he feels sick more than not. It could be the anxiety.

He spends most of his time in the Horizon in the start. He doesn't go back to teaching his classes right away and assumes no one will argue that, and being isolated in his room should be expected while healing. So even if someone comes in, Istredd is often sitting on the floor in the corner, his back against the wall, meditating as he exists on another plane entirely.

If he does happen to be awake he is scribbling intensely into a book, two full of notes books beside him. At night he sleeps underneath Lucifer's bed, having snuck down there the first night when nightmares kept him up, and just having stayed since. He has moved his blankets and pillow down there with no clear sign of coming back up.

After a few days, he is either forced out of the room by someone or hesitantly does it by himself. For the first time in his life, Istredd seems to seek out places where other people are rather than hiding in a corner. He goes to the dining hall, although he mostly pushes food around his plate. He still has his book with him that he's writing on, and if someone tries to look over his shoulder, none of the words will make sense. He's enchanted them. He is not against conversation, he just looks a little startled if someone talks to him, as if he didn't notice anyone was nearby.

He spends some time in the baths because he never really feels clean enough. It used to be a very quick event for him, he never lingered, but now he does. Still with his book writing. Often with the scrubbing. In general, Istredd is very jumpy. Whether it's coming around corners and being surprised by someone, startling from when someone speaks to him even if they are right there, or being suspicious of dark corridors and long silences.

Istredd is most of the time his usual serious self, hard to read outside of his skittish moments, and far less friendly than he was starting to be in Thorne before all of this. Eventually he will re-adjust to the situation, but for the first half of April, he seems withdrawn. He continues to spend more time in the Horizon than he should until pushed to restart classes.

The one time he seems back to his normal self is when classes resume. Istredd's familiarity with magic and teaching magic seems to be his safe space so anyone who attends his class will see him more relaxed. It is easier to focus on lessons and using his Chaos and there is a simplicity that is soothing.

BATHS

[soothsighs]

It is fair to say that Urianger is coping with the aftermath of their abduction better than some. It isn't that the horrors of what they've been through aren't effecting him, per se, but rather he's forced his way through enough trauma that he knows what he needs to do to be able to maintain a calm facade. First and foremost he has had to find a way to feel in control of himself again; to remind himself that his mind is his own, and that the madness he experienced could be considered a learning opportunity.That's the key with Urianger, really. The horrors they experienced in the pit have to be something from which they can gain new understanding of their surroundings — they have to be — in order to make their suffering worthwhile.

He doesn't put voice to these beliefs. There is a possibility Thancred and Himeka have an inkling of what he's doing as he spends night after night surrounded by papers: the most part a documentation of what he can remember from of the abduction, the figure, the intricacies of the ritual and the gruesome altar — as well as plans for what he must do now that he's back behind the walls of Thorne

Evidently, his work with the astronomers has nothing to do with the hallucinations and visions. Evidently, if he wishes to learn more of the figure, he shall have to adjust his line of research.

The prospect of having a plan to work through with steps to complete keeps his mind level, for the most part. If he is plagued by strange new nightmares about the Final Days then it only shows around his edges: dark smudges beneath his eyes and the occasional distant, unfocused stare that suggests the Elezen isn't getting enough sleep. Today, however, he's hoping that a hot soak will help him to unwind a little easier and a little sooner, which is what brings him to Thorne's baths perhaps late into the evening in the hopes of some privacy.

He does not expect to meet Istredd there, nor does he expect the difficulty he has in announcing his presence. Should he disturb him? Will Istredd want to see him? There's also a degree of self-consciousness in the matter: Urianger has been learning how to feel proud of his own body but the scars from his wounds are healing in a most unsightly manner — will Istredd be revolted by the sight of them?

In the end, propriety wins out. He would feel wretched if his friend felt he were being intentionally ignored after all they've been through together of late, and he clears his throat softly as he approaches the man with a drying linen wrapped around his waist and another somewhat awkwardly bunched in front of his chest.

"Istredd," he greets him, as he watches the man scrubbing himself pink. "I prithee forgive mine intrusion upon thy ablutions. Might I join thee?"

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd did not have serious and deep wounds like the others in the Pit but he still feels unclean. He's never been so dirty in his life and his wound got infected because there truly was no way to get around having muck into it. He has dreams now and sometimes wakes up with the same muddy smell around him, all in his mind of course, but it's still very real.

Trauma is not new to him, this was just a specific kind of trauma. The way mages are raised in his world is deeply messed up but they get so used to it that they can't really see it clearly. It's simply something that happened to them and then they graduated and moved on. Always in service of the Brotherhood in the end, the place that did it to them in the first place. But he's been decades removed from that feeling, so he simply wasn't ready for it.

Because of his skittishness, Istredd's taken to putting out very light telepathic vibes around him. No one would notice, it's more that he wants the awareness of another mind before coming into view. He doesn't go into minds, just senses them, something he never did before but he definitely wonders if he could have stopped their capture if he did. So he knows someone is coming otherwise he would have jumped, glancing up instead to seeing Urianger.

"You're always a welcome intrusion, Urianger." It's sincerely said, Istredd is not someone who says niceties without meaning them. They bonded pretty early, both being natural academics, and then went through a few things together of importance.

Istredd's injuries may be light in comparison, but he looks pretty bad. There are large circles under his eyes, he lost weight and even more since coming back because he's still not eating as much as he should be. There is a scar on his side, barely viewable, but he's sensitive there. He moves and makes more room for Urianger, not that it is lacking in space in Thorne's extravagant baths.

"How are you?"

→ ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛ ᴅᴇꜱᴄᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʀᴀʙʙʟᴇ 'ʀᴏᴜɴᴅ

[the_keeper]

It is, in fact, hard to locate the man named Istredd, whom Sabine has been on the lookout for since hearing a few things about him in passing. There's no ire or impatience for this fact. Those same words had come with the warning he'd been among those taken in the last big altercation, which deserved much latitude. Healing was a long-term course, and even the adjustment to returning to anything, even partially once normal was its own first stretch.

(She would know.)

She decides against the imposition of the large, impersonal dining halls; against the too intimate nature of the baths she's still a touch askance about on her own points; against interrupting him when he's busy with others, or settled within insularity, with his reading, or his writing. But it leads to a narrow valley of options, and Sabine settles on waiting until he finishes a class one day. Until all his other pupils have filed out.

She steps inside as the last person is leaving. Contained in good posture, effortless grace, and a peaceful demeanor that is far more true than it is any facade. "Apologies if I'm intruding, but would you happen to be Istredd?"

Sabine knows he is, but politeness as a first offer costs her nothing.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd is glad to be back teaching. A strange feeling after he hadn't been sure he should in the first place, but it turned out to be very natural for him. Ban Ard Academy is a ruthlessly competent school for mages and his teachers were cold but experts. There was no kindness in those walls, for them or the female mages in their sister school, only preparation and a hardening of their hearts and mind. Istredd's a far gentler teacher, having found (surprise surprise) that people responded better to polite and calm instructions than harsh.

He started teaching to find his place in Thorne and now he chooses it actively. This is also a place where he is less defensive and skittish, so it's a good place to approach him. Istredd feels safe within the walls that he teaches others how to not burn down. She also caught him before he went back to his books.

"Yes, that's me." Istredd looks a little puzzled at her, tilting his head. "I know most people here, you must be new." Did he miss new Summoned coming in? He has not been himself, so he must have. Usually he tries to be a welcome wagon for them, but obviously this is just not the right month for it.

[widows_kiss]

Natasha had given him a few days to recover, to settle back in. She knows just how long it can take to come back from something like what he's been through, and she lets those he's closest to be the ones to hopefully step in as his support. But it's only for a few days, before she's knocking softly on his door and poking her head, carefully balancing a tea tray in her hands as she looks to wherever he's at within, offering him a faint smile.

"Is now a bad time or are you up for some company?"

[magicalarchaeologist]

The reason Istredd is spending so much time in this room has a lot to do with how many wards and protections there are in place. It wouldn't be obvious to anyone without magical ability, but anyone trying to make trouble in there would very quickly regret it. This is the safest place in the castle for him. He is trying to do better about it.

So he does not immediately jump at the knock since it is safe in there, and it's probably someone who knows him checking in. That is proven right when Natasha's head comes into view and he smiles, setting aside the journal and his notes. He is sitting cross-legged on his bed, a common pose especially since it's how he goes into the Horizon.

He gestures and the door open for her so she doesn't have to worry about balancing the tea. Getting back his Chaos has been important and he maybe is overusing it for things. "Please come in, Natasha."

Out in Castle Thorne city and near boundaries

[magicalarchaeologist]

It takes Istredd an entire week before he is willing to leave the actual castle, and even then he is very timid about it. He wants to go to book stores and pretend to be normal again, although it is not always obvious, but he has a heavy magical shield around him at all times. It takes a lot of energy to keep it going, but it is worth it for some semblance of defense. It is invisible to the eye but anyone familiar with magic can probably sense it, and if they get to close it will feel like something is pushing them away.

Istredd is always looking over his shoulder and seeming a little uncomfortable, although he seems a little better once inside the Dragon's Keep. He avoids the Winking Cauldron and its many people. At one point people can see him going close to the walls of the city but stopping instead of attempting to go through. It's not about whether or not he's allowed, obviously they are keeping everyone inside after an ordeal like this. It is more about Istredd proving to himself that he is not afraid of going this far, although there are guards and the like, so he's protected, but it's the principle of the thing.

on the way to the city

[ushiri]

"I have some errands to run. Want some company?"

At the gates and the portals, Kahlil offers an easy excuse for Istredd, sidling up next to him and cocking his head to one side. The Summoned in Thorne - at least the ones who reside in the castle, practically live on top of each other. It's easy enough for someone like Kahlil to notice changes in behavior and habits.

He's noticed how little the man has left his room since he's been back. Some of that can easily be attributed to the physical toll of what Istredd went through, but there are smaller tells that might imply otherwise.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd startles despite probably having been able to sense a new presence if he focused hard enough, and instead he is using his energy to keep the shield going. He's mad at himself almost immediately for being so easily frazzled. This is a mind over matter moment for him. He glances over at Kyle, who does make him feel safer almost immediately though.

The offer is probably out of kindness and he appreciates it. Istredd feels confident that he might eventually have left by himself, although it may have taken a few more hours. "Yes, thank you." It's not as if having Urianger with him spared them from what happened, but it is still better than being alone.

Istredd is mostly on the mend having not been in the ritual, and his gut wound and infection has cleared up. He doesn't look well though, in the sense that he's lost weight and he was already lean to begin with, and there are heavy circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. Lucifer's helped as much as he can, but some things take time.

"Did you see Castiel's post about the shrine monster? And information gathering."

The Horizon

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd spends more and more time in the Horizon during this recovery period, foregoing classes and existing around Thorne to spend his waking ours in there. Not the healthiest choice, but escaping is the best thing for him in this mind. And there are distractions there.

The tower library is back and functioning again, having still existed but seemed blank and quiet during the capture. People can fill in books with their own memories and create reading nooks for themselves again. Istredd is not easily seen all the time, hiding away in the room with the conspiracy board although it is not being shown. He is making a brand new board where he is writing down details about the cult and the shrines. People who know where that room is can still find it and him.

Whether he is visible or not, anyone who comes in can sense someone is there, because of how close he is connected to his domain. Sometimes he is on the first floor like usual, but Istredd's full attention seems to be writing notes in a book. There are several books stacked around him that are filled with notes already about the experience they went through. If someone does appear through the door it takes him a second to snap out of his focus, and he pauses in his writing. "Just trying to get all the details down from what happened," he explains. So they won't be forgotten.

He has drawn a map of sorts from inside the pit, he doesn't know if that actually matters or how it will help, but it is more about him wanting to get it all out. Istredd can be found here all hours of the day and night since he is spending more time in the Horizon than outside for those first few days back. Before people start paying enough attention to him in Thorne to make it a problem.

If Istredd senses someone from the Pit from another room, he will immediately show up, looking genuinely pleased to see them. If he is in the front room, he looks up and smiles. Anyone else will get a more polite and distant greeting. The ravens are everywhere in the library, sometimes intrigued by people, sometimes simply enjoying their perches. If you have any connection to Lucifer, the ravens may come closer to you or seem a little more foreboding.

There is a new addition to the animals in the library. A leosylph that is pure black with red eyes, a unique combination probably only seen in here. The one that stayed with him in Nocwich was baby blue, but since this one is named Reficul, there's a reason it looks like this. It seems very happy to be lazily sleeping on tables, perches, even stretched across books regardless of whether people are trying to read them.

[takeatrip]

Jayden has also been spending a great deal of time in the Horizon, and for similar reasons; it gives him something to do, a distraction, somewhere to focus his attention that isn't navigating the aftermath of everything that happened. It's been a welcome refuge, and he's been able to develop his own domain, to practice creating and then changing what he wants to have there, and successfully not think about the last month.

But there's only so long he can spend messing with the colors of the chairs in his domain's lobby, or deciding what kinds of birds are hiding in the trees, or playing the piano, before it isn't as distracting as it once was. And so he decides to start exploring, wandering around the Horizon, and that's how he ends up at the Tower.

He can't begin to guess whose domain this is, or if they might be around, but his curiosity easily outweighs any caution that might've been warranted. So when the door opens, Jayden wanders in, and whatever he might've been expecting, the library is not it. But the library is way, way better.

Although he is not quite as much of a nerd as he's often accused of being, he's been known to spend a lot of time in a library, and this is like... A dream library. He can't help but stop just inside the door, staring up at all the shelves, absolutely amazed.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd is on the third floor at the moment checking over a few of his Academic Magic texts since he promised people they could find them in here to read. Thorne's advanced magic is harder to find in the other places so he wants people to have access. Also it's just something more to do, a reason for him to stay.

Ceylon the raven is currently on his shoulder, a warning peck occasionally given for how long he's been in there. But she has been more understanding. As understanding as a fake creature Lucifer created with some of his mind could be. They don't fully understand how all the animals work, but they do.

Istredd senses someone come in and moves over to the balcony to look down instead of teleporting which he sometimes does. "Jayden!" he says and it is with genuine interest, not with polite inattention as it usually is. They went through Some Shit in the pit together so that immediately gives him some leeway in here. He does disappear and reappears on the first floor a second later.

He shoos the raven off his shoulder and it flaps away, settling nearby and staring at both of them. "Welcome to my domain."

[earthborn]

If there's one thing Shepard hates, it's starvation. As a child, her entire world had revolved around hunger; how long you could withstand it, how many days you could last without food, how you could acquire it. Nothing mattered more than the next meal, if not for yourself, then for someone else. Getting her biotics hadn't changed that: if anything, it had made the point that much sharper.

Her time in the cave had been— it had changed things.

So when she visits the Horizon she doesn't sequester herself in Normandy, anymore. It's almost painful, somehow, to sit in Starboard observation and try to pretend it's real. Her mind keeps going back to hunger-pangs, thinning wrists, filthy hair. Cuts that don't heal. Shepard simply walks, most evenings, and tonight she wanders into Istredd's library almost without purpose— but then she sees the pets.

"...Hey, there," She says to the nearest bird, gently easing herself towards it, trying to entice it to touch her hand, "What's your name, big guy?"

She likes pets, you see. Ironic for a spacer, but there you have it. When Istredd sees her he will surely recognize her— she startles and turns, visibly embarrassed.

"I, uh... Nice pets."

Nailed it.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd has gone through a lot in his life, but starvation was never a problem. He's lucky that way, he fully realizes, and experiencing it first hand was a traumatizing situation. He helped control the supplies and water too, hoping that he could maintain rations that everyone could survive off of. It was the only thing he could think of for himself to do.

The ravens all have different personalities, trust Lucifer to create unique creatures, but she lucks upon meeting Rooibos first, the most friendly of them. The others would watch her or fly away, but he seems content to let her come closer.

Istredd does recognize her immediately, he knows everyone who was in there with him, and he smiles faintly, closing his book. "Rooibos is his name. He's friendly, you don't have to worry about him pecking you." All of the ravens are named by Wanda after different kinds of teas. If she puts out her hand he'll prove that by willingly stepping on it.

"I haven't seen you since the turtle, how are you, Shepard?" Istredd learned everyone's names while he was down there since he figured they'd all have to be a team eventually. And she was one of the people who stayed behind too.

pit brother reporting ♥

[mobezon]

It would be an understatement if Louis opted to admit he didn't take to the horizon immediately after he returned. It started out small, having visited there prior. His memories of his first visit came back. What he sees is a distraction, one that might end up becoming a replacement to what Louis is always feeling. His hunger is endless, and in it he finds a way to keep going back and building, to mediate, to exist, to find purpose. The pit had raddled him, and he hasn't been quite so since Paris. It brought it all back, the freshness of loss. He hates it, but also he relishes in it.

He started spending time in the horizon on his own, away from others. He needed to clear his mind, but the longer he attempted to clear it, the more he realized it only meant he was doing it again. Louis was isolating. No amount of going to Claudia's shrine in the process or restoring is going to will all what he's kept inside. Recovery is a strange concept to him. Finding what it means in Abraxas is a whole other matter. He realized he needed to go somewhere else.

The tower of books, he recalls. Istredd had talked about it. He'd also felt bad he hadn't sought out the people he had begun to form connections with, but his reunion with Lestat had raddled something within him that he didn't want to show near others. Could he just explore? Some part of him wonders if it is his will calling it forth when he does explore along the edges of domains, or if it had been the bright instance of having a brief mind connection that has him exactly where he wants to be.

When he does see Istredd among what he thinks are notes, he speaks.

"I knew you'd make it out."

bruthaaaa

[magicalarchaeologist]

There is so much to add in here and since Castiel suggested other people include their accounts on the magic network, and Istredd is hoping to see more pop up. They can't forget what happened. As a historian, it is important to him to make certain they have the facts. He knows all too well how time can erode memories and truths until they are legends. Since he has nothing but time ahead of him, now that they've lived through the ordeal, he wants it to be known. Even if all of this may disappear if he does, it is a way to start. A way to share.

It has been a relief to hide in the Horizon. He simply doesn't feel safe in the castle. He never liked it very much to begin with, but now every corner feels potentially dangerous. Istredd has gone back to teaching but he knows how to do that still, and using his magic is soothing now that it's back. In here he feels in full control of himself and everything around him. It makes a difference.

He senses Louis before he sees him. When Istredd gets to know a mind, it is like a tiny radar, a flicker of familiarity, nothing intrusive, as easy as someone recognizing a voice without them having to speak. Anyone who walks into the library feels like something to him. When he glances up from his book he smiles immediately.

"You'd be the only one."

Istredd certainly didn't think he would! He thought they were all dead. Then they almost escaped, and it seemed possible, but then almost drowned the entire group. It was very touch and go. He also didn't get a chance to check in with everyone before going back to Thorne, but he suspected Louis would find him. He asked him to.

Istredd moves from the table and steps closer to Louis. He is not much of a hugger, but small gestures work for him, so he pats a hand on the man's shoulder. "I'm very glad to see you, Louis. Come in, come in."

[carmesi]

When Wanda visits Istredd's Horizon, the ravens swoop in excitement to greet her, like children wanting her attention. It has been a while since she's been here. After she's done rubbing her forefinger over Oolong's beak, she asks of them to take her to Istredd.

Anise takes charge, guiding Wanda through the stairs and hallways, and towards a doorway that leads the way into a room.

Books are stacked and blocking the view, but Wanda can hear the sound of scribbling away on a page. It's incredible to her to think that he manages to keep everything afloat and permanent in the Horizon, considering the amount of books that are here. Wanda approaches, not wanting to disturb him, but feeling a sense of ease as she traipses into a familiar telepathic connection. He had been gone for a long while, and she had noticed that incredibly so.

As Wanda approaches, she places a hand over his back, fingers splayed out over the fabric of his shirt, as she takes a seat on a nearby chair. She's glancing down at his writing, but then her eyes turn to him, not needing to say a word.

There's so much to write down, isn't there?

Here you are, her bond to him implies, like a blanket over his shoulders, warm.

gonna time this for after lucifer so she can find out ;)

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd feels her the moment she walks in, not because of the ravens as they're not his, but because her mind was the first he truly knew in this land. The library is made of his mind, so it knows her. It was instantaneous connection, the two of them, something that has never truly been replicated, since normally you have to build bonds. They slipped into it like a waterfall. He does assume she'll either find him or the birds will bring her, so he focuses on finishing his thoughts while he can.

He glances up and the wall across from him transforms into an almost exact copy of what was in Sam Wilson's domain with various notes and pieces of information put up. He visited there briefly and saw Natasha, heard from her what they were doing before he disappeared, so he came back. It's not all complete, which is why it was somewhat hidden from view, but she can see it now.

When I get stuck in my own experience, I try to focus on what you all did out here.

This wall has been very helpful for that, because Istredd does have times when getting too much into the memories of the pit gets him twitchy and anxious. He appreciates having multiple points of view. He pauses and then releases any hold he was having on his mind while he focused, letting it flow into her and around her in that familiar friendly warmth.

Istredd smiles at her and reaches out to take her hand, squeezing it gently. He hasn't been having the easiest time and there is something brittle and fragile around the edges of his mind, but there is happiness too, somehow, settled into his core.

Thank you for coming to get us. I recognized your particular kind of magic above.

Mostly he recognized how very loud and fatal it sounded so he knew right away there was only one person who could be slamming with that force. He knew then that they were going to get free.

[ordinar]

For the first week, Wilhelm recuperates in his room, leaving only to take meals in the dining hall. Dipping into the Horizon keeps him from going stir crazy, and Elrond, recovering from their ordeal too, provides built-in company when the elf's not absorbed in one of the many books he keeps within reach of his bed.

In the second week, when his wounds have staved off infection long enough to seal up completely, he resumes training with Kyle. Though, they return to the basics and stay there for now, to let his body get accustomed again.

Around this time, he expects to hear from Istredd regarding his magic lessons too, and this invites a sense of dread to sit in his gut. Not for practicing his magic. After relying on his connection with fire to survive the plunging temperatures on the mountainside, he's more confident in his abilities than he's ever been.

But he can't forget how he'd screamed and shoved and spat at Istredd, only for the mage to be dead right. There were no ghosts among them in the pit; there were only his own delusions decomposing his mind. They hadn't talked much after that. Wilhelm's stubborn pride made sure of it.

So he dreads, but no message comes.

By the third week, he decides to meet this thing head on. It probably looms larger in his mind than the reality of it warrants. He knows how his anxiety amplifies everything into a crisis that nobody else can see. Though, by the time he enters the tower that occupies Istredd's domain, he's second guessing himself. It's equally likely that Istredd, realizing what a petulant child he is, has made up his mind to discard him as a student.

As Wilhelm wanders up the curving staircase to the second floor, the ravens flock to him. They land, wings fluttering, on the bannister beside him and swap perches so that they still shadow him as he goes up. They caw and tilt their heads in curiosity.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd has not been intentionally avoiding him, he looked in on him when he was sleeping and recovering, but he didn't know that. It thought it for the best to give him time, it had been very brutal in there for a time. He was one of the people who gave into the sickness. And perhaps a part of him was reluctant because he had been forced to put his hands on Wilhelm and contain him, something he would normally hate to do.

Mostly it is because he was struggling himself. He has barely left the room since they got back. He's shuddering at shadows, avoiding people and quiet places, very unlike him. He is spending much of his time in the Horizon, too much of it. He says for good reason, but it's to escape to a safe place.

The ravens are Lucifer's creation so they react positively to anyone with ties to him. They will nuzzle at Wilhelm and one might even hop onto his shoulder, cawing. Istredd hears them squawk and steps out from his hiding spot in the second floor space that they use for conspiracy. He has an entire conspiracy board for this alone now.

He didn't think Wilhelm was ready to return to lessons. He already struggles. He pops into view and smiles faintly. "Wilhelm. How are you?"

zooming in late, sorry!!

[gynvael]

Since his return, Geralt has yet to enter the Horizon. He isn't avoiding it. Just—preoccupied with other shit in the tangible world.

Only when he's home—really home—and things have settled a bit does he go inside. Kaer Morhen stands, unchanged. He hesitates to venture downstairs. Finds it as he left it after all. No nightmares spilling out, no dark locked doors. Just the temple and the light scent of spring blooms.

He doesn't know what makes this time different. (He knows.) Doesn't spend too long dwelling. Instead, he mounts his motorbike—been a spell since he's taken it out—and rides down the snowy slope towards the open path of the Horizon. These days, he's as at home on it as he is on a horse. It's not the same as a companion, but he's learned the appeal.

It wasn't his intent, at first, to go here. But when he passes by a familiar structure,, he slows. The bike rumbles outside. Hm.

He cuts the engine. Possible, that Istredd heard the roar of it, but either way, Geralt isn't discreet as he walks towards the door and knocks.

Wildcard

[magicalarchaeologist]

Hit me with your best shot

and I hear there's healing just around this corner ♫

[thedevilwhorose]

♫

There'd been a time where Lucifer would have considered that he didn't need sleep, ever. He's gone beyond that. There'd been a time where Lucifer considered that he didn't need sleep after injury-exhaustion. He's gone beyond that. There'd been a time where Lucifer would have considered he didn't need sleep after bone-dead tired, worn out, excessively drained energy and a no-nothing month, but...

Well.

He's trying to work through that.

Things are trying to settle back into "normal" and the puzzle pieces are so misshapen that they don't fit right anymore, the way they used to. Lucifer would normally think himself the problem but he can see the signs in the other Summoned, knows what to look for in the ones that had been non-stop at work while the others were taken. Doesn't so much know how to read the returned Summoned, and that's--wrong. Lucifer's always been good at reading people, for ill intentions sure, but he knew regardless.

He supposes the difference now is that he doesn't want to set anyone off, while he did not give a damn about such things during the last month. That everyone rebuffed and rolled with his aggression is miraculous.

They'll put the damn puzzle back together with glue and painted over if they have to; it'll just take more time than any of them want. Ambrose and every other stooges can deal with the consequences of what that new shape looks like.

The benefit of temporarily rooming with Rhy and Kyle is that typically they were not all trying to find some semblance of sleep at the same time. They were often always on task, at different times, different days, or simply ghosting through the dining hall because they'd given up. So, Lucifer is used to waking up and people be "missing."

Istredd is not stupid enough to go to the library in the middle of the night without making it completely known and acknowledged by Lucifer. Lucifer calls him an idiot a lot (because he is). But Istredd is not that stupid. So when he wakes up at some ungodly hour of the night, barely a day or two after they've returned to Thorne, and Istredd's bed is empty but ruffled, the instant spike of panic claws at his vessel's heart and sends his mind in wild overdrive.

Underneath all of that first reaction he knows, with faintest reassurance, that the link isn't blocked again, but Lucifer is still struggling with having enough time and enough rest to fix his end of things, so there aren't words, no question, just alarm, alarm, alarm--

I'm cheating. - takes place pre-banquet

[magicalarchaeologist]

There are few things that can lift Istredd's spirits higher than fresh discovery, and Hayle is full to the brim with it. The day that they've had to explore Hayle has restored him temporarily to his eager and bright self, happily perusing through any parts of the university they allow, curious about the arcana decks and exhibits around the city. There are magical devices being sold that would never be thought of back home. There is a part of him that always thought Hayle would be glorious for someone like him, and it's living up to that expectation.

His fear is less when he can be this distracted and there always seem to be people around. Istredd has been putting a shield around himself more often than not when leaving the room which takes up a lot of his power and focus, and it is dropped here. If Lucifer isn't with him, someone else from Thorne is, and he is never actually alone. Istredd's happy, in truth. Josselyn Creed is dead. Hayle has never-ending details for him to admire. And the angel he fell in love with is his now, somehow.

Until now, clothes for these events has always been something he just has to endure. Istredd has two tunics and both of them are very simple and helps him hide in plain sight, something he prefers. He tells himself he is getting a full set of formal wear so he doesn't have to again. Hayle is the epitome of fashion, they have a spending allowance, and if he gets something here, he can wear it to everything they do from now on. It is logical. Pragmatic.

It definitely doesn't have to do with if his partner would care how he looks in fancier clothes. Lucifer's never indicated that he would care about that. Istredd feels very much like a male bird showing off his bright colors for a mate when he looks at himself in the mirror. He normally wears subdued blues and blacks, and he feels very foolish standing out like this. Yet the suit is fitted perfectly to his tall and lean frame and it is more comfortable than he expected, having thought he would be stiff all night. It was pointed out to him that this shade would make his already vivid blue eyes 'pop' and he has to agree that it does. They'll probably be visible across an entire room reflecting off of this.

Confidence plays a part in this, he knows that, and he has never had much of it but today he is feeling good. There were so many books. He got to chatter at too many fellow scholars, acting extroverted for the first time in his life. Istredd has planned an illusion show for this event, a way to put himself on the map intentionally. And he cannot deny that looking like this will help accomplish that among the snobbish Thorneans.

Those are all the things he told himself. And not that he is secretly hoping that Lucifer will like what he sees and be glad to have chosen him. They are not supposed to be at the event yet and he told Lucifer he would meet him in the room before they go. Mostly as a chance to center himself before being in public, and maybe get a boost of confidence from his partner.

The room at the inn is beautiful, of course, everything here is. Istredd is inside and unlike him, he is pacing the room back and forth, waiting but also trying not to chicken out and slip into one of his other tunics.