abraxaslogs | I don't trust, but I see right in front of me

They tried it already with the first batch and they might, in the end, think that's what they should've done with this batch, too. It's only a matter of time before they become eel batteries, Istredd.

(Lucifer, ever the optimist.)

He blinks, slow, perplexed, a trickle of confusion to his thoughts because really, Istredd?

"Yes?"

But also give them another five minutes, Istredd, because soon his hands are going to be dug into another creature while Istredd keeps watch.

It's not an impossible thing, Thorne is fickle in general. The Queen is unstable. Who knows how long she'll see them as valuable. But for now, they are. For now, no eels, but it isn't that he is blindly believing they're safe. Nothing about this place is safe, which he's been saying since the beginning.

"What? I'm just checking. You may have decided you'd rather do this alone."

Lucifer can be very independent and this was a place he went by himself to let loose. Istredd likes being in his space and included in the things that he enjoys, but he was willing to give him an out here. He's maybe always a little concerned that he's too smothering, everywhere on top of Lucifer. He still has his moments of uncertainty, don't look at him.

They are closer to the border so Istredd sets the corpse down and does pointedly look away from what's about to happen. To keep watch, yes, but also because for the other reason.

"Odd, I don't do most things alone these days," he says, face scrunched up in thought. He shrugs and adds, "That's not a fault to you, or anyone." Of the people that Lucifer is constantly around. Some of it is still leftover from when they were all kidnapped. That need to make sure they're all here, not lost out of his control, again.

The rest is just that desire to be around people, something that's been stripped away from him for so long, an integral part of angels that he isn't above.

His selected bunch are a little weird. And a lot screwed up. But they're his and they're not going anywhere. Who'd have ever thought he'd garner true loyalty just by being himself.

He does sink back to the ground, legs folded under him, and carefully sets to work on the more grimy part of this dissection, trusting Istredd to make sure they aren't disturbed.

"I might, from time to time," he continues. Do this alone. But it's not a would you rather kind of deal.

Istredd smiles, crossing his arms, keeping an eye out into the darkness. He's already fought back against one creature of the night, so he's ready for another one. "That's because you're very likable. Rough around the edges, maybe, but charismatic. And we're all lonely people made less lonely."

They've talked before about the similarities a lot of the Thorne Summoned have, and there is definitely an element of isolation. Leaning on each other in a way they haven't in a long time. He knows Lucifer had it harder than most, being in that cage for so long.

He pointedly does not look at what he's doing. He can smell it and that's plenty. It is necessary, and maybe eventually he'll get used to it, but not yet. "You know I always support when you need alone time." They are in each other's back pocket 85% of the time. They live together, sleep together, are often walking around the castle together. The last thing he wants to do is suffocate.

"But I like that you want me here. Even if I was seriously considering letting you defile me covered in blood on the ground." He chuckles at that last part. Listen, adrenaline is often the cause of such things. He is not immune!

"The charismatic part is 'allegedly' how I tempt people to sin," he says easily, and Istredd will be able to hear the eyebrow-wiggle in his tone of voice. Feel it. Hell, embody it. But 'we're all lonely people made less lonely' is so incredibly accurate. He'd add it to a Thorne Summoned requirement because maybe it'd make them more likely to be compliant, easy to make them into followers.

A rare show of optimism from Lucifer would have him thinking that maybe the group of them backfired on Thorne.

I know. There is, generally speaking, no question to when Lucifer actually wants to be alone. He doesn't close off, doesn't even just up and disappear. They can't do that. Can barely get up in the middle of the night without a tap to an arm.

Wake up one night to some idiot being under his bed...

Lucifer's just ends up... absent, with the kind of mental head-nudge to indicate that he's not kidnapped or Missing-in-Action.

He grins into his work. "It would've been quite the experience. But we'll get you a bath," he says, sounding a little forlorn at the prospect, "eventually."

"You're very tempting, that's true." He can hear the eyebrow-wiggle and chuckles. Awhile back, when Istredd still hated the very idea of being a public figure with the Summoned, he asked Lucifer to use his charisma to work with others. Neither of them was into it then. How far they've come since. They've become pillars of the Thorne Summoned, albeit Lucifer with a little more mischief to his reputation.

The communication they've definitely become the best at is not causing any more panic if one of them becomes MIA. They sleep together now so he's not going to hide under any beds. The most is if he has to get up earlier so he'll kiss Lucifer's forehead and murmur where he's going so he knows.

It's crazy to think how much closer they've become since this began, from Istredd being careful about every touch he did, every silent request for affection and how hard it seemed then. Now he's put his hands on every part of Lucifer greedily, his fingers trailing over all his skin, certain in its welcome.

Istredd stops from looking at him, but he smirks. "Well. If you want we can stop by the room before we take a bath. It'll end up looking like a scene of a murder with all the blood, but everything can be cleaned." This is him pointedly offering them to continue their blood lust with literal lust covered in blood. See, he said don't underestimate what he'd do.

"Blood only though." So the gore will have to be wiped off first, but he thinks that is a pretty reasonable middle ground. "If you're interested."

It doesn't take work for him to be charismatic but he has to care. And he just. Doesn't, most days. Taking all his building blocks and past successes and putting them to use in Abraxas seems paltry to what he's had to claw together for himself in his world and why should he put the time and energy into it, here?

But oh, sure, he's been wading into more acceptable levels of effort. Because apparently he's had to learn what having a life for himself and not just goals means.

"Oh, but the gore bits would be such a good midnight snack," Lucifer sings. He's kidding.

He's kidding mostly.

Lucifer's put some questionable things into his mouth, alright.

He sorts through an odd array of pouches-within pouches at his hip, all empty, separate from his primary bag, before he extracts an organ that Istredd Will Not Want to Witness. He places it into one of the inside-pouches and whispers an Abraxan incant, tapping a sigil and activating the enchantment.

And then he shifts the corpse to continue to the next needed part.

"Don't get me wrong, while you're plenty enticing on your own, mmmm," it's weird working out where his interests in bed lie while he's filleting a corpse, "I think it's the freshness that matters."

But he does appreciate the offer.

"Please don't make me think about you putting that in your mouth when I put my tongue in that mouth."

Istredd is mostly kidding, but not entirely kidding. He also assumes Lucifer is kidding but who knows. It would be fine if it wasn't in his head, that's all. Although as he's proven, not much would actually matter to him when it comes to his indulgences.

He very much does not want to witness and also may turn a little green if he keeps thinking about it too much. This is not the type of thing that can be overcome right away, but Lucifer doesn't seem to actually mind. The pouches and places to put things is reasonable, and very useful, but he needs to breathe through the idea.

"It would be dry by then, yes. I get what you mean." They have to leave this area and then sell it while it's fresh, by the time they got to their bedroom, it would lack the way it is now. If he's slightly disappointed, it is mostly about discovering some interests of his own and adapting to them. Interests he would not share with others. He's never been with anyone like Lucifer, and Lucifer's never really been with anyone. They're still learning things every day.

"We need better clothes for this. Greater fabric protection, maybe."

Lucifer does make a face at the thought, and it's not a Hmmm Intriguing thought but an agreed Nah That'd Be Gross. Not that Istredd can see him, but the feeling is conveyed enough with the expression.

"More like we need a poncho," Lucifer says. "'Greater fabric protection' doesn't help when I get soaked in blood, it'll just be a waste of material and efforts. I'd still have to burn the outfit." Burning is preferable, to him, anyway. Thorne must have cleaning spells (he hasn't paid attention to the freely available clothing), but there's basic volumes of mess and there's the travesty that Lucifer currently is, thick and grimy and weighed down by it all.

Nice in the moment--freshness, as he had said--noooot so nice later on.

"Additional protection only matters if you've got something that doesn't absorb the fluids."

He tucks away glands in another separate pouch, same method as before. Istredd might catch the blue glow at the corner of his vision, there and gone again.

"Two more and then we can go," he says, almost soothingly.

"We could ask the native hunters, surely they don't destroy their clothes every time they go out. There probably is a usable spell."

Istredd will look into it because it's not as if he has a ton of clothes. They could keep asking Thorne for more, which he assumes Lucifer has been doing, but it's annoying. Although it might also be annoying to Thorne, which makes it a little more fun. He doesn't ever actively push back against Thorne authority in order to keep positive influence, but little petty things aren't the worst.

But if there is a spell to protect clothing so neither of them end up in gore, that would actively be the better option. He'll look into it. Istredd normally finds what he's looking for.

"I've never seen you come back like this, I assume you change before coming back?" Now that the blood isn't going to be useful to him, it's making him feel weighed down and sticky, so he is going to look forward to that bath.

"You can be the socialite," he says, with some amount of Amusement. Lucifer doesn't care enough to ask. If Istredd does, he can go and be the social one of the two of them. Frankly, Lucifer's played a good game at ugh being involved.

Arguably they're werewolves (and vampires) so he's not entirely sure clothing is even in their consideration.

Clothing Optional, maybe?

(Is he stereotypical? Probably.)

"I typically divert to the baths first," he says. And makes due with changing out outfits because while he has zero care for the Crown, the servants do know his preferred attire, so he does VAGUELY try to not be a Complete Pain for them. Istredd made a comment once about how Lucifer pays attention to the disenfranchised but it's still towards whatever serves him best. They just happen to be it.

"Ugh," Istredd grumbles, wrinkling his nose at the concept of being a socialite. But. He more or less has become closer to one these days. Teaching and researching has provided him with some standing and he is very good at seeming polite about everything Thorne while privately harboring as much hate as Lucifer.

Maybe he did pick up enough from his upbringing to not do so terrible in a court. He dislikes that, but it's useful. "Maybe, though." He can be friendly enough to get information about clothes. They can just continue to get clothes from Thorne but Istredd is a mage. He looks for ways magic can be useful, always.

"Good idea, I've never had to wash blood off, you may have to scrub my back." He's teasing. It's the truth though. Unless you count when he came back from the Pit, so covered in blood and dirt and mud that he couldn't really bathe himself well at all. They had to clean out his infected wound, it was unpleasant. But that's the closest to gross he's been here.

"Your training paid off. I told you I was paying attention." Not that Lucifer would allow anything else, but Istredd tried.

"I wouldn't risk allowing you into solely physical combat if you 'hadn't been paying attention' to your training," Lucifer says dryly.

He finishes securing his promised 'last two' parts from the corpse, shucks off some of the extra gooey bits from his hands with minor levels of care, and then he's shifted in flight to pressed completely against Istredd's back, all ten fingers dug into him like claws, dragging down slightly.

The layers of fabric between his nails and Istredd's skin ruins some of the effect.

"If you wanted me to wash your back all you had to do was ask," he says lowly, matching the teasing and going beyond, his mouth besides Istredd's ear, breath cool, "you didn't have to get so dirty."

"Oh you wouldn't risk me, would you? My protector. I appreciate the effort you've made." He smiles and looks out into the forest, not entirely aware of how far Lucifer's at. Istredd does assume he will wipe off a lot of the gore solely to keep him from getting sick. He's considerate that way, also it would be disgusting for both of them.

He doesn't know that Lucifer is done until he feels him come close and dig his nails into him. His breath catches since he likes feeling Lucifer's nails on him and then he's whispering into his ear. Istredd turns his head slightly toward him when he does, his heart beating faster.

"Yes I did. How else can I trap my archangel without appealing to his tastes?" Bloody, as they've established. Istredd soaks in the affection, leaning back into him. He moves a hand up to hook around Lucifer's neck from this position and into his blonde hair, getting it a little bloodier. He's not inclined to pull out of Lucifer's embrace any time soon.

"You are a menace," he scolds but he is in no way serious. He's smiling.

Excuse you, he's gotten much more careful with his possessions in the past several months. Weird that it only takes a nasty kidnapping and some screwed-up, trauma-inducing, rituals to make someone take extra care of their things.

(People.)

Lucifer takes far too much pleasure in that caught breath and escalated heartbeat, feeling it through the skin at Istredd's neck.

"Inventive way of 'sussing' out that trap." As though any of this trip turned out to be on purpose and not just sheer happenstance that they stumbled upon. But it's working out for them in the end.

"Lucky I'm your menace."

Lucky depending who you asked, anyway. Which would. Only really be Istredd who would agree.

... And maybe Wilhelm and Kell.

Istredd would only roll his eyes at the things vs people debate. Whatever way Lucifer wants to see his loved ones as, it's all the same thing in the end. And he's never minded someone being possessive of him.

Quite the opposite.

He turns in Lucifer's arms but doesn't step out of his space, moving his hands over his disgusting shirt and past his shoulders, hooking around his neck. "I told you to stay ten feet away from me." As if that seems to ever be able to stop either of them. Their separate touch starvation only makes them hungrily wrapped up in each other at all times.

Istredd leans in and deliberately bites Lucifer's bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. Apparently blood is getting very involved in their current situation. There is no doubt that he is intentionally provoking him and then he pushes away from him, smirking.

At least he's upgraded to 'things' instead of simply 'toys.' Playthings to the divine. See? He's improving.

This. This is karma. For a lot of things Lucifer didn't even realize he was at fault for! Buuuut.......... a lot that he was aware of ever since he possessed the knowledge so.... karma.

There is zero break in Lucifer's posture and appearance. No reaction at all to Istredd pushing away from him.

However, there is a notable dropped reaction across their thoughts, like he's accidentally lost hold of something, unexpected.

It's been awhile since he's had such a difference in physical versus mental.

He huffs lightly after he realizes it, too.

"Ten feet is not enough," he says, as though a larger distance would work any better than ten feet. He has to shake himself, thanks a bunch, Istredd. "I've gotten everything I need." From the dead body, anyway!! "Let's get out of here before we," Lucifer, "slip up."

That smugness is back as Lucifer usually has the upper hand in these situations and being the tempting one is definitely fun. He may have to do it more often. He grins at Lucifer after he has to shake himself. The best part of a new relationship is learning all these details, and Istredd can't find it in him to be sorry that he's walking out of the forest looking like a nightmare.

"Then I guess my goal in the future will have to be to get you to slip up." He's very amused. The reality is that they wouldn't be able to find many chances to utilize the blood aspect. Istredd may be a little drunk on adrenaline and lust at the moment, don't mind him.

"Alright, what do I have to carry? No better way to get my mind out of the gutter than that." Then his focus will have to be on making it without feeling overly queasy.

Looking like a nightmare to some, looking like a snack (actual) to others, looking like a snack (lustful) to Lucifer.

"Just don't do it in a forest full of murder that could kill us both for that slip up," Lucifer warns, but Istredd wouldn't risk that. ...Hopefully. The warning is there, either way.

He holds up his arms. "Everything of value is secured in pouches or on my back. You could carry me, but that's not very helpful for the predicament at hand."

"Thank you for the compliment that you'd be so distracted you wouldn't be able to focus on protecting us." Istredd is not going to stop grinning. He's scented blood of a different kind and he is going to keep lapping at it.

"We could put up shields and wards. The point is there won't be a lot of opportunities when we'll be like this." And that means the idea of having sex covered in blood will be more difficult to make real. "We could always save enough money to rent a room and go there next time. We could make it back quickly." And then they'll make that rented room like a murder scene.

Sometimes seduction requires some thought if it has a precise need such as 'I want you covered in wet hot blood.' If Lucifer isn't likely to throw down his inhibitions out here, a plan probably is required. And Istredd is methodical.

"Stay over there. We can't be trusted."

Istredd wouldn't be finding the humor of it after they were both maimed and not in a fun-happy way.

(Lucifer there is no fun-happy way to being maimed.

Says who?)

'The point is there won't be a lot of opportunities when we'll be like this.'

Them's fighting words, Istredd. And clearly a lack of creativity. He doesn't say as much but the open-amusement following the words in answer is there.

"And save enough money for the extra 'cleaning fee' that gets tacked on afterwards," he says, which isn't in discouragement. That amusement kicks up exponentially. Would you even be able to look the staff in the eyes on our way out?

Lucifer makes a full 360 spin in show when told they can't be trusted. They can't. At all.

What are they going to do? Sacrifice an animal in their room so they can get like this again? Istredd is standing by his theory they won't have a lot of opportunities. Unless they go hunting in Thorne, which may be safer in terms of things that can kill them, but not quite so dramatic.

"It would be worth it." Istredd says that with conviction. Certainty. They're already poor most of the time, go ahead and blame him for saying he'd spend what little money they get for the two of them to have sex like this. He is not ashamed. I doubt we're the strangest hook ups that go through there. There are vampires and werewolves here. Who knows what they get up to.

He would probably not look them in the eye but there is also a reason he keeps all their PDA very innocent like holding hands or light touches. Mostly because he can't trust himself, like he can't trust them.

You know all the times I fantasized about us, this never came to mind. He chuckles. Lucifer knows that he's wanted him a long time, it shouldn't be a surprise he thought about it. Extensively. That part he may be a little embarrassed about.

It's a cryin' shame Lucifer doesn't have access to his healing capabilities (though that would be added to the rank of Greatest Joke Against Lucifer if he did have that instead of, say, his barely-there smiting capabilities), because that could... open up more, ah, unconventional means.

But he is satisfied with Istredd's answer.

Then your mind's played it too safe. "Take the big risks, find the thrill!" Of your imagination? Whatever. He tosses a piercing look over his shoulder as they walk, all the lilt gone from his voice as he points out, "Though you did take that first, big risk. That leap." In trying, in potentially risking their friendship and putting them completely into unknown territory.

It's a weird credit to give but Istredd should get it, anyway.

(It's also far better than Lucifer saying 'aw, you're adorable' because Istredd's already a touch embarrassed and it comes too close to laughing at Istredd, which would not be his actual intention.)

You have no idea how safe it was playing. Istredd smiles, shaking his head. At one point the extent of my fantasizing was holding your hand, maybe a kiss if I was very lucky. He didn't think Lucifer would be open to any of this, so yes this is thrilling and strange and he likes all of it. He still is just grateful to have any of it. Any touch, any look, any smile. It's exceeded expectations.

"You could have rejected me and I would have never brought it up again." That is definitely what Istredd expected. That is why the kiss made him genuinely shocked. They've gone over the reasons why that probably wasn't the best first kiss in terms of feelings and complications, but the feelings behind it were real. Istredd looks ahead and not at Lucifer. Ten feet and no looking.

It was because you let me touch you, I started to have hope. Not only that night but also before during their reunion, when he cupped Lucifer's face for the first time and Lucifer let it happen. He didn't pull away. They were intimately close like that for the first time. From there it was only a matter of time.

Unrequited love is the worst. You'll never have to know what that's like, luckily.

Wow, Istredd.

Just, wow.

"Yeah, and have it buried deep, deep into your thoughts, deeper than your initial feelings, and left to fester," Lucifer says, skeptical. Lucifer is the King of Suppression but that doesn't mean he thinks it's a particularly healthy method. He'd do all the looking between the two of them if he wasn't leading the way, though Istredd might be able to recognize some of their route now.

Your idea of hope was still wildly playing with a game of chance since I didn't know what I wanted until, hmm, the possibility.

Predictably, he makes no comment in response to the last part.

I don't trust, but I see right in front of me

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FINALLY LEAVING THE WOODS wrap lol