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

Lucifer leans into the kiss. He smears the barest streak of blood to Istredd with his other hand, pulling down from his jaw bone, following a vein. He'll only get rid of it if Istredd happens to gag and by get rid of it well he'll likely just lick it off.

But it's the only blood he purposefully gets on Istredd.

Anything else is Istredd's own fault.

No one has the equal memories to share in return. Even each of Lucifer's brothers have a differing perspective from each other. Maybe that was done by their Father on purpose, to give them all roles.

Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil--

Be Evil.

Thankfully I haven't broken yours yet.

It's fine, his shirt is already tainted considering he's leaning into Lucifer this way, and he is not free from blood himself. The creature he just killed did spray a little as he stabbed it through with the spear so this is the situation currently. It's in his hair, on his throat. Istredd is pointedly not thinking about how insane they're going to look coming out of the forest this way.

He tilts his head slightly to the side so Lucifer's fingers can move from his jaw bone to the pulse and anywhere from there. Istredd knows if he actually pays attention it may be disturbing but he is currently kissing the sense out of himself. Lucifer has a skill for getting him out of his mind.

So far. His mind is at its brightest when they are blending together so strongly, like it is glowing from use. I was a goner from the moment you let me touch it.

Istredd knows vaguely when all the steps happened that got him here, and he assumes even without the bond they may have had something, he thinks there is something about them that was always going to click. But he couldn't resist Lucifer's mind.

He stops kissing only because he needs to breathe, his heart still pounding, air unsteady. Never would he think that killing and blood would actually be a turn on, but that is Lucifer. Always surprising him. Or maybe he's drunk on adrenaline, hard to say. Three kills, we'll have plenty of coin to buy you a drink.

Nocwich is a territory of vampires and werewolves. They'd have more concern about becoming someone's snack because of all the blood than anyone looking at them funny. Heck, they make a blood wine drink (which Lucifer very much likes, just ask Kell, who hates it).

Lucifer was likely a goner from the moment he let Istredd touch hands over his injuries but he doesn't say that. Still barely knows how to process much of... anything. Tangled threads, slowly unraveling into something that makes sense from an angel's perspective.

They never would've gotten anywhere without the bond.

Well. Untrue. They both, barring catastrophe, have very long lifespans.

So maybe eventually Lucifer would believe anything Istredd would ever say without the safety net of the bond backing those words.

But it would have lost them the acknowledgement and acceptance of Lucifer's true form and that--

Ah.

Lucifer chases Istredd's 'retreat' but kissing alongside his lips instead because he's not into asphyxiation.

... Probably.

"We should be able to get out no problem," he says into Istredd's skin. "We currently smell like two predators, that should work in our favor." They could always fly-portal but where's the fun in that?

It was a mistake, what he did with the bond, and he wouldn't change it. He would always make the same choice, given the chance. This is eternal, exhilarating, and addictive. Istredd would go so far as to say there is a hint of destiny to them. That is his romantic side, believing in meant to be.

At the time he assumed Lucifer was grumbly but saw the logic in letting him help clean up. Now he is aware of how unusual it was for Lucifer to allow that much touch and barely argue. That little bit of trust went a long way.

He closes his eyes briefly and lets Lucifer press as many kisses as he wants on his face, his to devour, tenderly running fingers through Lucifer's hair. There is some blood on him due to touching his shirt, but he knows Lucifer won't mind. He likes it.

"You like this, don't you?" His other hand climbs up Lucifer's spine. "That I accept your dark side too."

Lucifer doesn't mind the blood; Lucifer downright enjoys it. Relishes in it. Maybe even goes as far as cherishes Istredd with patches of it painted on parts of him.

They're supposed to be leaving the woods.

They're doing a great job at that.

"I wouldn't accept you if you didn't."

That's straight-up fact. Stone-cold concrete. That Lucifer is at his core more dark side than anything, that he may change and shift but that will always linger in some form. That he isn't expected to change so heavily, that this is a part of him, that Istredd not only accepts it but also doesn't try to ignore it, dismiss it, put it in a box and pay attention to whatever's left behind.

Istredd is trying to ignore the reality of getting himself dirty like this but he is doing fine, he isn't feeling uncomfortable about it. It helps that having Lucifer this close makes him not think about anything else. Or maybe he's just getting more used to it himself.

There are some things they are trying to change about each other, but it's not about fundamental personality traits or because they don't like it. It is more about piecing themselves into each other's lives and encouraging change where it is right. Opening up to one another and finding comfort in understanding.

Istredd has been warned about Lucifer's dark side more than once, including from Lucifer himself, and he always says some form of 'I know.'

He kisses Lucifer again, hungry and playful at the same time, his hands trailing blood through his hair, curling on his neck. It's one of my favorite things about you. The darkness, parting ways for beautiful light at times, powerful and unshakeable. He stopped questioning his attraction and the reasons for it. It is a fact.

It did feel good, he admits. The fight.

The other ones were easy and he was satisfied that he was doing well, but not cheating with his magic did make it more challenging. And the surge of pride that Lucifer gave him was satisfying too. Maybe he did need an outlet and to put a little fight into keeping alive.

Lucifer is extraordinarily good at keeping Istredd distracted from... quite a lot. But in this case, this is small, and easy, and Lucifer being Highly Invested makes it work out nicely in his favor.

He's tempted to push, trap Istredd against a tree.

But while he's confident they can get out of the forest by their sheer level of blood contents, even he doesn't want to toy with Fate. Lucifer has had enough Hunting Ground trips go quickly sour to know better.

"And you didn't need any help. Those felines are my primary, preferred opponent. Their swiftness, ruthlessness, tricks... all make them very good to up your game against." He splays his hands against Istredd's back, nips at the underside of his ear, and then forces himself to draw away. "I'm confident that if your magic ever gets suppressed again, you'll be just fine." Enough, anyway. Enough matters.

The nip gets a slight intake of air as nips usually do and he leans into Lucifer as he retreats, physically protesting the space before he can think of the words, and forces himself to stop before trying to pull him back. It's smart, even if they could fight more, they shouldn't. It's entirely Lucifer's fault that he gets caught up in him, of that Istredd believes strongly.

"The trained warriors weren't doing much good in there either." So it wasn't only about magic suppression, they were all fucked up in a variety of ways. But Istredd knows what he's doing. It does make him feel less helpless. "But it helps, Lucifer." It's not easy to react to loved ones struggling. Lucifer's been doing his best.

"If I kiss you again we're not leaving so. Ten feet apart." Istredd's joking. Mostly. They're always playing a little bit with fire, it's the problem. He does finally become aware of just what a disaster he looks like but it doesn't make him stomach turn. Blood, eh. He reaches down to pull Lucifer's spear out and offer it to him.

"Any way we could ... bring the corpses there and they can do the tearing it apart aspect?" It's hopeful because he would much rather carry them out than have to carry out whatever pieces Lucifer has instead.

He ignores most of Istredd's chatter because having grown accustomed to his own power cut, he can see it happening to Istredd again in another unknown circumstance. The basic knowledge is important.

The basic knowledge backed by actually taking down a predator that could spell life or death is priceless.

Lucifer temporarily swings off his backpack of hide to take off one of his layered tunics and toss it towards Istredd. "You're going to carry the cat," Lucifer says cheerfully. "You can wrap it in that to make yourself feel better. But that animal is the only lightweight thing we've got, and there's as much other useful parts to it that isn't just meat. It's never about the meat."

He reorients his backpack again and nods to the boar bodies, one with the missing large chunk of hide. "Forest will reclaim them quicker than you'd imagine." The scavengers will have a field day today.

Istredd shouldering a corpse is enough reason to keep them ten feet apart.

"Also we have to pay to get them to cut out the bodies themselves, so it really defeats the purpose."

Welcome to hunting for sport more than gain, Istredd.

Istredd is definitely thinking about the time Geralt showed up and threw a monster head on the floor in front of him. That he had to deal with. It's not as if he can turn it off. "I don't need the tunic, the blood is fine, it's the rest." Why would the other parts bother him when the blood and corpses are just as bad? No idea, don't ask him, he's reacting in real time to new experiences!

"Don't judge me for being squeamish, I'm new to this." It's possible at some point in the future he'll have done this enough times he's more natural with it. This isn't going to be his last trip, that much at least is certain. He doesn't think Lucifer is being judgmental, ish, it could be him that's judgmental of himself. Typically how it goes.

"Fine, no, I'm here to learn, we'll ... do what will get the best price. That's the point. It would be nice to not be poor for a few days." Istredd frankly always had the Brotherhood bankrolling him and other interested parties. He is quite spoiled with that in mind.

"I'm not judging you, I'm trying to protect one of our sets of clothing." And Lucifer's entire outfit will need to be burned at this point. Sure, it's Thorne-provided. But it's still his.

If Lucifer was judging him he wouldn't have offered the tunic.

"I'd trade you the hide but honestly that's worse," he says. It's a whole lot less... contained, despite the cord holding it together. It's occasionally seeping. "But unless you have a magic bone saw," which would be a real bummer to hold back from Lucifer's knowledge, "we can't harvest the tusks. This is the best we've got."

"No thank you," he says very quickly about the hide. He sees that it is occasionally seeping! The cat is perfectly reasonable and Istredd is strong enough to handle it. Istredd glances at the boar. Most of the time, the tusks would be easy to get if it was only on the head, but this is all over the place.

He stops himself from asking anything else, like whether they can carry it, or anything else, because obviously Lucifer would have already thought of any of that if it was an option. He does know what he's doing after all. Istredd calls back the arrows he'd been using as weapons, the ones that didn't break during the fight, and puts them into his quiver. He'll have to move it to the other side of where the cat will have to go.

"Do they let people bring wagons in here? Because next time, we could put one at a strategic location. We could probably carry something heavy that far." He gets that the woods don't have a lot of 'wagon friendly' areas, but he's not saying they have to bring it in deep. Near the entrance would be fine, less cumbersome than the entire way back.

He decides his own tunic is already bad enough, so he's going to leave Lucifer's mostly clean tunic alone. The cat can bleed on him some more.

He'd once tried to tie up and drag a dead boar behind him.

Predictably it didn't go well for him.

They're not enormous creatures but they're not small either, and the tusks will ruin someone's life.

He spins his spear between his hands, not watching Istredd try to get himself in order. He'll only get moving when he senses or hears so kind of go ahead from Istredd.

"They don't even let us bring in our own weaponry, I doubt they'd allow a wagon."

"Has anyone asked them? It's not as if it's a carriage or a catapult."

Typical Istredd to be asking these questions on his first official hunt rather than just going with the flow. Maybe it's a distraction as he finally hauls the cat up over a shoulder. It's heavy for him but not that bad, he'll make it, and switch shoulders if not. He is pointedly not thinking about the blood that will for certain soak through him as they walk, see, better to give up on this shirt rather than ruin Lucifer's other.

I'm just saying. It's easier to think than speak while he's focused on moving. If they want all these parts to buy, it would benefit everyone to have an easier way to move bodies out.

"Ah, you see, it's less about what they need and more what someone's going to go out on a limb to pay for. Native hunters always sell first, if we take business from them it's no bueno." 'Not good' is the automatic translation Lucifer's thoughts allow. "I usually sell in Thorne, not Nocwich, for that reason." With Istredd's new-temporary-fashion statement, Lucifer can take the hide back to Thorne as his 'trophy' and sell it there to get a bit more coin than he would in Nocwich.

"But I should be able to find somewhere closer to the entrance and. Well. Dissect that." He waves over in Istredd's direction. "Still 50-50 for Nocwich sales but the artisans should give us something. There's a guy kicking around that's trying to use bioluminescence in clothing just for fun." Even though magic could do the same thing, or the same flower that's used by the tattoo artists. But, gotta give the creatives props. They'll try anything.

Istredd is listening to Lucifer intently without interrupting, intrigued not necessarily by the words that he's saying but his knowledge about it. There's some enthusiasm behind it too, he's practically chatty. It makes him smile warmly despite carrying a cat corpse around.

"We should bring something then, not a wagon, something designed for easy carriage of these thing. Bags or clothes with pockets to hold some of these things, I don't know, I'll ask." Istredd thinks there has to be a more logical way of approaching this so they don't end up covered in blood and only able to bring back a portion of what they did. "Maybe I can find a magical bone saw."

He's still learning things about magic here. There are always new things to discover. Istredd probably will also ask Geralt his advice. He knows he usually has the horse and saddle, and they can't have that here, but he is a professional of many decades.

"You know, I did notice you came away from hunts seeming in a good mood, and I think I get it." He waits for Lucifer to tell him where he wants them to pause to deal with the cat so he can try to not think about it. "You're good at this and you can let loose and feel free, less watched." The darkness may be bad after awhile, but temporarily? Nice. "You ever think of seeing if Thorne would let you work as a hunter in the area? They can't rely solely on Nocwich to bring in game."

But he likes the covered-in-blood part, Istredd.

He especially likes the Istredd-covered-in-blood part, Istredd.

Lookit that, Lucifer learning all sorts of things during this trip.

But he can feel Istredd's thoughts on that particular matter even without deep-diving.

Few people put up with Lucifer, and fewer put up with his interests. He'll treasure both of those exceptions and Istredd just happens to fit into both, so he'll give him an out in leading him... well, out.

"I don't particularly want to offer Thorne more than I already have," he admits, leading them on through the woods once he's sure Istredd can handle his new (dead) accompaniment. It's fueled by an... odd, displeased feeling. Lucifer has, already, recently unloaded most of what Istredd didn't know from while he was kidnapped.

Lucifer just... wants to Play the Game but not put in the effort, that much is clear. Even if it could ultimately be beneficial to him.

He's so tired of Thorne.

"They likely wouldn't pay me, anyway. I'd be helping the conglomerate!" A scoff. "If I wanted to add my real services to them it'd be as an interrogator." Something he'd equally want as a tried-and-true specimen, far more than his hunting prowess, but would ultimately, likely, backfire on all of them.

He likes Lucifer covered in blood too. So much that he got himself covered in blood because he couldn't resist him. Learning all kinds of things.

"Kyle suggested asking for payment for teaching, but they wouldn't. They have other teachers, this is more something they seem to indulge as it's useful." And Istredd likes doing it, gives him something to do. For him, it does feel useful. He's become fond of his classes and his students. "Stregobor always assumed I'd take his place someday, he was certain I'd come around. I used to hate the concept, but it's not that bad here."

Becoming Stregobor back home is the absolute worst thing to him. And as Lucifer knows, teaching in the Brotherhood is not as simple as what they do here, it is about perpetuating the harm done to himself. He could see it as trying to take care of the younger class, but he would be expected to make the same cruel choices. Doing it here has only given him the good parts of teaching. No eels required.

"Let's not do that." The interrogating. Torture isn't unknown to him, he just doesn't know if it's healthy for Lucifer's state of mind. "I'm glad you have some kind of outlet then. And I'm glad to be included, even if it might take awhile before I can handle this aspect." The gore, obviously.

Edited 2023-07-19 14:49 (UTC)

"You think if we don't make ourselves useful, they're eventually toss us aside? Find other means for us?" It's said as a hypothetical but Lucifer wonders. Lucifer, with his tentative relation with Thorne as it is.

Lucifer wants to take up the blade but how long until it's own of their own on the end of it.

He's too good at his job for that to be anything but sour.

"You're getting better. You don't have to excel at everything." He tilts his attention back to Istredd, and it's--warm, "Having you here is enough."

"They tried that already with the first batch. Even if we're not being outwardly useful, I think we're still useful to them. Symbolically. Enough to deal with the enemy to get us back." The enemy being the Free Cities, although they barely interacted. But they did allow emissaries from the Free Cities to use their little technology birds around Thorne territory. That doesn't come easily.

He knows that ultimately the other Summoned are who rescued them. They put in the work to get their people back. Who knows how long it would have taken the factions otherwise. Too long. But he does think Thorne likes having them.

Istredd looks genuinely baffled at the very idea of him not excelling at everything. He might have said as much if Lucifer wasn't looking at him in that particular way that goes straight to his soft heart. "So you do want me to come back with you? Even if I throw up on you?" That last part is a joke. If he has yet to throw up, he's not going to, but his gaze back is warm too.

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."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

too bad my other character isn't there

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject