thedevilwhorose: » Nick (before you take command)
Lucifer ([personal profile] thedevilwhorose) wrote in [community profile] abraxaslogs2023-05-02 07:52 pm

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

Who: Lucifer, others
When: May & June
Where: Thorne, Nott, Nocwich, the Horizon
What: OTA prompts and some closed things
Warnings:
Nocwich with Castiel: Cyfaill-induced Problems.
Nocwich with Istredd: A Lot of Blood, animal death, part harvesting, ???? it's a weird thread




I don't know who to betray.
[Will match style.]
magicalarchaeologist: (013)

oh my god sorry for this block of text lol

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2023-05-15 01:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yes, it does." Istredd sounds confident about that. He questions the Brotherhood in many ways, he's not very fond of them in the least, but this isn't them telling him things. "I could feel it myself while training, and sometimes even now. Master mages can die if they're not careful too. Channeling Chaos will always be a little dangerous."

It is grasping onto living power, a powerful force, and manipulating it. Istredd rarely feels the danger while using it, but it is why he is cautious rather than flippant about his magic. All of it is precise. He told Wilhelm that it's important to take it seriously. It can always go wrong, for anyone. He doesn't think Academic Magic is exempt from this.

That in itself is a new detail from Istredd. They haven't spoken about everything, that's all. He doesn't pull away, he never minds when Lucifer touches him. In fact, he loves it. It's usually him instigating.

"I know you," he says simply. To Lucifer being called out, to being able to see what he's doing. Istredd would do something similar in order to distract someone, it's just normally with thoughts rather than actions. Except being known isn't simple at all. Not for Lucifer. "I know you're worried." About him and if he's going to break.

He listens curiously to Lucifer's answer and it's true that even now those cracks are rare. Istredd keeps very controlled. Lucifer's seen that he can snap, but it is harder to do than with other people. Perhaps knowing how constant his concern is about magic explains more too. He hums in response and when Lucifer spreads his palms, Istredd reaches forward and takes his hand, that contact taken back.

I want you to see them. I want to see all of yours. There is no end to the things I want when it comes to you, Lucifer. It is partially a concern. Because he feels too much, too strongly. It is easy to scare people off with that. Istredd lifts Lucifer's hand and kisses the palm gently before releasing him.

Keep poking if you want to. I'll let you know if you cross a line. Irritation is fine. He may roll his eyes and push back, but it's all within boundaries that he's fine with. He finds it attractive, he's already said that. But when it crosses into anger, that's a different story. Lucifer knows now that he has a temper with specific triggers. He'd never been so angry with him.

When you knocked me out that night, I was angry because I was afraid you were playing me, it was a game. That I got my hopes up only to be reminded no one could see me and want me. That's a break for free. It's not even one that Istredd could say is over. He may always be a little afraid. And it's not a reflection on Lucifer, that much he wants to be clear. This is his break, his problem.
Edited 2023-05-15 13:26 (UTC)
magicalarchaeologist: (075)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2023-05-16 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
Istredd refuses to think anymore that Lucifer would play him. He never thought he would before, and when that thought came on him, terrifying at the time, it was the only time he doubted. Some day he may be proven wrong that he's an exception, that he's special, that Lucifer clings to this too much to ruin it. But not this day.

I promise I will always get annoyed when you put a book in the wrong place. No matter what I'm going through. Lucifer isn't entirely wrong though. If he had done that when Istredd first got back, or that first week or so in Thorne, he'd probably barely notice let alone do anything about it. He lost the fight in him, the ability to push back, even in the small insignificant petty moments. The person who telekinetically called a pen just so he could throw it in Lucifer's face when he was irritating him.

Maybe he did know that he's been muted and withdrawn, hiding in the Horizon frequently or in their room, and he's tried more and more. But just because he was physically out and about didn't mean he was entirely there. Istredd sighs and keeps the book close to his heart, despite not even caring that much about it. It's not about the title.

"I don't know," he says finally, and it may be one of the few times it's him saying those three words so firmly. Istredd always has an answer and something to say. He is either very wordy or absolutely silent, but he hates admitting to not know something. Even if he doesn't know something, he will have a list of ways to learn. This sounds solid, like the weight of accepting he doesn't have ten answers to one thing is heavy on him.

It seems stupid to let a month of trauma affect me this long. It's frustrating. It makes me feel weak. This is after Istredd spent all those weeks feeling undeniably weak too, nothing being good enough. He remembers lying down with Yennefer and giving up entirely, until she tried to get him to keep breathing. And it is particularly infuriating because I want you to see me in my best light now that we're together but I'm still just this.

It's almost unfortunate that they got together when Istredd was at his most traumatized, and he knows that it was part of what made Lucifer doubt it in the start too. It required him to be this vulnerable in order to reach out, but like anyone starting a new relationship, he wants to be impressive and attractive and strong and it is the opposite.
magicalarchaeologist: (311)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2023-05-16 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
Istredd's hands lift to curl fingers into the collar of his shirt, not leaning out of Lucifer's orbit; if anything he leans into it. He feels like he can breathe here, in this book store, far from the castle and everything related to the kidnapping, clinging to Lucifer.

"You know that I do." They are in a corner and no one else is in the shop so he is confident he can get away with leaning his forehead against Lucifer's. You are so damned good at this, Lucifer. Charming and supportive and vulnerable. Lucifer is at his best. Even in Istredd's fantasies, he couldn't imagine feeling this good all the time.

This is a jump away from when you were concerned me shattering would shatter you.
magicalarchaeologist: (033)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2023-05-16 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
"Lucifer." Istredd smiles faintly and shakes his head. If I was going to break, I would have done it down there. I did choose to live, despite it not seeming that way. I could have laid down and died any number of ways. Yes he prioritized getting the kids out and being stabbed for Ciri, but he could have given into the wounds or lost all fight. He was in very bad shape by the end and succumbing to injuries would be easy.

He flinches at both flicks and smacks Lucifer's hand away. There, a little extra spice. "This isn't going to happen forever." No matter how it feels or how frustrated it makes him. Istredd sounds confident. Healing takes time. I really am going to be okay. Just as he wouldn't be insecure about them forever either, as promised. Adjustments.

"I have a beautiful mind too and it's not going anywhere."
Edited 2023-05-16 04:39 (UTC)
magicalarchaeologist: (Default)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2023-05-16 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
Istredd pauses and then scrunches up his nose, making a face, but it is acknowledgment and not a denial. He is reckless and often careless. He gets laser focused. This connection began because of him not caring about the dangers of them going to the Singularity or what it meant politically. He was not alone in that journey, but it was his idea, and him driving it.

His reaction to everything that happened will be to dive head first into the next step to get to answers. He wants them more than ever before. Geralt warned him not to play around with gods or greater forces. Intellectually Istredd knows he is right. He probably still will do it though. It's compulsive in a way.

Kyle cautioned me about us. Not as an insult to you, but he said to keep you safe, I had to protect myself first. Be more careful with my life, I suppose. Some of it may have been about Lucifer being untrustworthy, but he could see in Kyle's fear that it also had to do with how Lucifer spun out. He nearly killed Kyle because he snapped.

How far is Istredd willing to go for his knowledge? For the Singularity? Will he lead everyone to a pile of ash, where meaning well is a joke? What would he sacrifice? He doesn't know. Right now he would be more conservative than how it would be in the moment.

What would you have me do?
magicalarchaeologist: (173)

i'm sorry about who i am more than who he is

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2023-05-16 01:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Istredd smoothes out Lucifer's shirt from where he had curled his fingers in. Before coming here, there was one thing I did that I wish I could take back. I was caught up in intellectual discovery and believing I was doing the right thing, I was so sure. Now all I can see is how big of a mistake it was.

He hunted down the truth about Cirilla from what he found out from Geralt. It should have been difficult to break apart that information, but his bright and sharp mind jumped the distance to answers. And the more he learned, the more excited he was for what it could all mean. She wasn't a person to him, she was a name on a page, and her destiny was the important thing on the continent. Istredd didn't see it as selling her out to the elves, at the time he believed it would save them, as he promised to do, and it was what she was meant for. He regrets it now, that much is obvious, the regret is pouring out of him. He didn't stop to consider what was the best path, he had to do something, he thought.

His feelings are a bit of a mess right then, a soup of them, and he pulls away from Lucifer, putting the book back where it was supposed to go. How am I supposed to just change the .... There is a pause where Istredd hesitates, stopping in the middle of the sentence, and it's like his mind skitters.

His mood shifts in a second and he starts laughing. It's such a sudden burst that he covers it up, although swallowing it down doesn't change the mixture of amusement in his mind. I was about to ask you, of all people, how was I supposed to change a fundamental personality quality? After months of convincing you how change is good and breaking down your walls.

It's kind of like how Lucifer laughed when he realized how ridiculous it was that back in the day the idea of allowing Istredd in his mind made him threaten him, and now they're permanently connected mentally. Istredd shakes his head, knowing it must have sounded random to the owner. Stop and think, someone says, and the other person laughs at them.

He's really laughing at himself.

But I'm here being stubborn. Like an idiot. I'm sorry.
Edited (i'm sorry about who i am) 2023-05-17 22:13 (UTC)
magicalarchaeologist: (178)

yeah that's why I was like PLEASE LET ME EDIT lol

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2023-05-18 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
It's terrible, I hate it. I take back everything I've ever told you. Istredd smiles and shakes his head. It is definitely going to be gut-wrenching and painful and require him to witness his flaws and deal with them, but for now, it's honestly still pretty funny.

Istredd is a 'do as I say not as I do' person in everything. He may have to actually learn how to start taking his own advice (and a taste of his own medicine).

In my defense about the Singularity trip, I passed that idea by Stephen, Yennefer, Rhy, Kell, and Ambrose first, it wasn't me going rogue. Every person going on the trip had to sign off on the idea and what it may mean. Probably Stephen, Yennefer, and Ambrose were the people able to see the big picture and decide to go for it anyway. So as blind as he can be, focused on his goals, he did get several second opinions. They just weren't Lucifer.

"I would get that book for sentimental reasons later on but it's fiction and I don't read fiction." Istredd does, however, remember exactly where he put it. He is a very sentimental person. He probably will get it and never read it, for the symbolic nature.
magicalarchaeologist: (151)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2023-05-18 02:21 am (UTC)(link)
"I already told you no," Istredd says with mild seriousness about the starting of a war. They probably all will be starting a war at some point. Lucifer won't be the only one involved in whatever's coming next. It's the specifically trying to be king part that's a solid no.

Istredd is having no problems at all navigating the bookstore. He's taking the scenic route because he likes it. There is a very clear way that he is moving, instinctive, turning in the right places, that is just natural for someone who has spent decades in libraries. He hooks a hand in Lucifer's elbow when he starts going in the wrong direction and tugs him the right way.

They do pass by the owner on the way out and he respectfully nods to her. She looks at them both but doesn't say anything before going back to what she's reading. But she probably will remember them, strange outsiders that they are, being strange in the history section. Also Istredd will be back annoying her before long once he gets actual money.

He is taking this time to consider what Lucifer is saying. I know a version of the echo chamber. It hasn't been called that, but the concept is not new or specific to one world. It happens in the Brotherhood frequently. Unsurprising when there are a lot of old mages all with their own motivations and political beliefs blended into one place. Their bickering is polarizing, and all 'sides' don't like to cede ground. Istredd left when it was clear there was no point in talking to them.

He could point out Yennefer agreed, but Yennefer and Istredd are in fact very like-minded; it's their personalities that are vastly different. Neither of them cared much about the consequences if it meant getting what they wanted. Trying to figure out answers about her magic was a big driving force of that. And they did find out something very important. They were raised in the same place, it probably isn't a surprise they share a similar mindset when it comes to the same thing. Power for her, knowledge for him.

So you want me to run all my potentially dangerous plans through you, is what you're saying. It didn't stop him from going to the Singularity, although Lucifer has a lot more influence over him now than he did then.
magicalarchaeologist: (117)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2023-05-18 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
He was magically kept from getting out of the labyrinth. Not the same thing.

It is an interesting list and yes, would seem to have happened during that ordeal. Not Kyle, they both already trusted Kyle enough to have their talks with him about theories and ideas of this place. Istredd would have already put Thancred and Natasha on his list himself, but it's interesting that Lucifer is.

He studies him closely though, frowning as the humor from the bookstore fades away. But we tell each other if it's important. Istredd raises an eyebrow at him. "Right?"
magicalarchaeologist: (125)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2023-05-18 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
Istredd gives him a long skeptical look and stops, reaching out to take Lucifer's arm and stop him too. It doesn't matter they're in public, it's starting to get dark anyway, and he may as well be staring right into Lucifer's soul at this point. If he had one.

Let me be clear. Lucifer already told him exactly how he lied. He saw it for himself. It's the only way he's a good liar too, as they've already communicated. If the answer is no, that's fine. I have details of my own that I can't share with you. It's unfortunate, and sometimes it does make him deeply sad that he can't share everything with someone, no matter who it is, even the man he loves. But it is reality. He doesn't live in a fantasy.

Cirilla is going to be protected, no matter what. He may trust Lucifer with himself, but he doesn't trust him with her.

But don't try to play me. You literally told me how you lie on our way to the docks. Istredd releases him and continues on the walk back to the portal. He already mentioned how badly he handled feeling like Lucifer was playing him. He won't handle it well at any point.

For instance, you didn't know that Geralt's from my sphere and that I know him. I also know that he's been your go-between with the Winchesters. Surprise, he can actually keep things to himself. He's only mentioning it now because it is more public.
Edited 2023-05-18 03:24 (UTC)
magicalarchaeologist: (265)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2023-05-18 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
Istredd glances at him, keeping pace. I know you. How many times does he have to make that clear? And maybe it is hard to be known and he gets that. He's only now being better at being known himself. It is probably clearer at the moment how he's let Lucifer do more of the opening up, and that isn't what he wants. He wants them to be on the same page (book, page, sentence).

You've called me out when I'm not being honest too. Refusing to talk about Kyle, struggling to admit to his insecurities. This is what he thinks a healthy-ish relationship looks like, if they want it to be. Just still ironing out the details.

But we should both remember in our infinite wisdom. A wry smile at that. Too much secrecy could put the other one in a position of collateral damage. So yes, if it's important, like a life or death situation, I think we should share. Istredd thinks that is fair. They don't want to lose each other, that is a major part of their relationship. Clinging to one another in the madness.

At the Geralt information, he nods. That sounds about right. He'd try to kill anyone who he thought was a threat to a loved one. Istredd can tell that about the man. They only talk about theories, but he's observant. He does raise his eyebrows though. We're not close. I mentioned this a while back, but I found out the monoliths in our sphere were gates. Geralt was with me at the time, we were investigating one. When I came here he was interested in my thoughts about the Singularity and how it connects to the monoliths. Not an extremely interesting relationship.

He doesn't want to make it seem like they're best friends. If Lucifer implied that that to Geralt he would be very confused. Witchers and mages don't get along traditionally. Look, now you know the word for what he is!
Edited 2023-05-18 04:22 (UTC)
magicalarchaeologist: (317)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2023-05-18 05:09 am (UTC)(link)
I'm never going to be fully comfortable with that, but I accept it. I don't control you, like you said.

It doesn't feel good to know that his partner wants to keep things from him and he thinks he's doing it for Istredd's sake, when that doesn't feel like protection. He was being honest though. He would much rather know the truth and accept it than feel like the rug is pulled out from under him in a few months if it turns out he's been lied to. Better to live with the reality. That's true for both of them. Istredd is being truthful in that acceptance.

Oh answers after all this time. I assumed it was Dean. It sounds like it was and Geralt was there with him. That is one of the times they started to get closer, when Lucifer allowed him to help.

Geralt can be difficult and monosyllabic, but he is fair in how he deals with people. When Istredd was concerned he'd kill him, he still knew that it was a reasonable option. By saying that he means he isn't surprised Geralt protected him on the ship as well as tried to kill him in the Hunting Grounds. He does feel a surge of satisfaction at the reminder of what Lucifer did for him.

As for that, well. After the conjunction, when our spheres combined, a lot of monsters came to the continent from the other spheres. They were overtaking some parts of the map. Witchers were created to hunt and kill those monsters through supernaturally powerful skills and training. They were created by magic which is probably why there is a healthy amount of skepticism between mages and witchers. It's not really dissimilar from what mages themselves go through, only more brutal physically.

He is extremely dangerous. But fair. Geralt is indifferent to him, but Istredd generally respects him. Even if he finds him irritating. I wouldn't start a fight with him again.
magicalarchaeologist: (142)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2023-05-18 12:41 pm (UTC)(link)
At first he thinks he's talking about Ciri, which would make him defensive, but stringy is not a comment anyone would make about her. Istredd guesses instead that it was Jo, who he met on the back of the turtle, but he doesn't know well enough to say for certain. She was grieving Dean, that was when they still thought he was dead. She seemed like a good woman, if brisk in her grief. Enough to talk to him when injured despite her feelings.

That group from what I can tell are all monster hunters of some kind. It isn't a surprise Geralt fell in with them. From what Lucifer said, Dean and his brother were hunters. Just like Geralt. Ciri must be close to them as well. He notes that for his own knowledge.

Istredd lets him rant about the wings. He knows that Lucifer is very proud and serious about his true self and heritage, and that is all fair and reasonable. I can see how that would be upsetting, an enemy given the appearance and skills of your kind. He doesn't know why the Singularity would do that other than it might have a sense of humor. Or it might be his close relationship with Castiel shining more than his hatred of Lucifer and Michael.

But Lucifer barely has access to his angel self. Feeling bitter about it is normal. He pats Lucifer's shoulder in solidarity. I wouldn't hold onto it though if you can help it. It's only going to upset and hurt you in the long term. Upset like he is now, hurt as in having another fight. Pointless. They have bigger things to worry about.

Isterdd shakes his head. No, they're more like a hybrid of things. Human and something else. Istredd has only heard the witcher details, he hasn't asked Geralt himself for confirmation. Nor does he plan on it. He isn't a big fan of mine. Or any mages, really.
Edited 2023-05-18 12:42 (UTC)

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