Istredd can feel him go tense and he does understand. It's not a comfortable conversation. Lucifer hates loss, he hates acceptance of loss, as they both know. But Istredd isn't likely to let it sit there either. He stops his exploration of Lucifer's body and simply halts his hand against his back, holding it there.

Good, about the others. He is too smart to think Lucifer can stop himself from self-destructing, but if the others are too stubborn to let him go, that means they can reach him. Hopefully.

I just worry. Especially if Lucifer ends up regressing. He's been afraid before that he'll lose all of this if he starts getting his grace back, but he could lose it by choice too. Get withdrawn, bitter. It's not as if this is a great topic for Istredd either. I want to be here with you, for the rest of my life. It's still hundreds of years, and who knows if they can make his life longer with all this magic, while gaining power. Mages live so long because they have that power to sustain them. If he has more than Chaos, who knows?

He wants to be there, but they don't have a hold on it. The loss of Lucifer would be so harsh that Istredd may self-destruct in his own way. He turns his head to carefully bury it into Lucifer's hair, breathing him in. The feel of his body against his, cold as it may be, his scent, his general essence. I'm sorry I upset you, but I wanted to make my opinion known. Once he's gone there is nothing he can do.