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Who: Lucifer & Mace Hemmet
When: November
Where: Thorne Hunting Grounds
What: Classic finding an 'in' with someone close to the queen.
Warnings: N/A

It's taken him some time to really come to terms with tracking down the kid (as most people are referred to as when you've existed for billions of years). He doesn't particularly need anyone else that might end up being over-exhausting as the queen's 'pet' may turn out to be.

All of Lucifer's 'pet projects' have backfired to some extent and he's not ready to set himself up for failure again.

But he needs an in somewhere, he needs to stop putting it off, and like hell is he ever apologizing to Ambrose. No one else has quite the right... mmm... interest to Lucifer.

So, as far as he's concerned, it's the apprentice or bust.

And that's what has Lucifer finally, begrudgingly, wandering Thorne's Hunting Grounds (not his favorite place to be, not like Nocwich, or better yet the Feywilds), searching for the man and his dogs.

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Mace is not hard to find. He has frequented the grounds since he came to the castle for the love of sport and more importantly the love of his dogs. Despite the pressure of his most recent promotion, he visits like clockwork with his pack. The groundkeepers know him well and he them, making any new visitors easy to spot.

But it isn't Mace that notices Lucifer's presence, it's one of his dogs. A brown and white spotted hound raises her ears in interest as she looks about until she finally locks onto the man. She lets out a quick bark which alerts the rest of the pack, turning several canine heads in unison.

Mace looks up as well, patting the side of one dog until he lays eyes on the Summoned. His smile is easy though there is a clear lack of recognition in his features.

"Can I help you?"

Lack of recognition is honestly the best result he could've had here.

He blinks at the pack of dogs all looking at him, half expects an attack, and is pleased when that doesn't seem to be the case.

There's multiple excuses he has thought about for coming out here looking for him, specifically, and he hadn't quite decided on what he'd go with until he was here. Even then it's a loose start. Better that way. Figure out the path while they chat, it's worked for him before. "I needed to get some fresh air and out here seems... kind of the best option." Without leaving Thorne proper via portal. "Didn't mean to bother you."

Lucifer likes one singular dog (hellhound) and she's dead. He's much more of a cat person. Waaaaay more a cat person over dealing with people, and yet he brought this on himself.

Suck it up, Lucifer.

He nods to the dogs. "They look healthy."

The dogs are well-trained and well-behaved with most waiting for a command from their master before taking any action. But they do find Lucifer more interesting than any average passerby. Mace easily writes it off to him being a Summoned.

"The air is fresh, indeed. Brisk as we welcome the winter," he finds himself agreeing as he continues to stroke the head of the nearest canine. Its ears flatten as it leans into the touch but does not take its eyes away from Lucifer.

Mace can't help but smile as he looks down at the pack and he gives two others solid pats on their flanks.

"You won't find better bred or better behaved on this or any side of the Kingdom. They can take down anything from small game and fowl to the unruly wild hogs you'll find in the forests." The smile turns into a grin as he straightens. "Are you, too, a man of the hunt?"

Lucifer hates winter but he has enough warming enchantments from Istredd on his clothing that he doesn't completely hate being out here. Completely. But the colder it gets, the more he misses the Nether. Borrel's beaches just aren't the same level of extreme natural heat.

He keeps his eyes locked on the dogs instead of Mace, unblinking, before he realizes it might be best not to intimidate the dogs and he pulls his gaze away with a brief flicker of a smile.

"I love the hunt." The kill. "The thrill." The blood. "The victory."

Mace allows a short pause to fall between them, though he doesn't drop his smile. If he feels there is something left in the beats between Lucifer's words, he doesn't call them out.

"An accomplished hunter, then. I'd hear of your accolades if you'd oblige."

The dogs finally turn their attention back to their master who spares them a fleeting glance.

"They must sense that about you. They're not usually all that interested in strangers."

Sense it. Right. That's likely fine.

Well.

He doesn't imagine anything about waging war back home will have any impact here, would hardly mean anything. And he technically lost that, so. So. Concrete examples.

"The Feywilds have quite the exquisite Hunting Grounds in the form of their Duskwoods."

He's not sure how much bringing up the fey was a good idea, considering Thorne in general, and that Lucifer reported a total of Zero details to their officials about the Feywilds.

"Surprisingly I spent much of the time just breathing in that environment and watching how others interacted with it." AKA he stalked Nikolai tracking a wispwolf and had a good fun time with it up until Nikolai hit a nerve. "But I did take down a juvenile viper hydra with one other hunter. Nasty bugger despite the age." He gestures with both his hands held up besides his head, does a small snapping motion with his hands and his teeth, miming the three viper heads, before dropping his hands again.

"Nocwich is where I've hunted most, however. I think I've felled every beast but the Dreunania--that feels like a bad omen waiting to happen. The Gealaci Kucing--sorta sleek glowing cats--are my preferred prey." There's delight in his eyes. "Good to test and sharpen the senses against. It's a shame, do locals from here ever get to go to Nocwich like the Summoned?" He isn't actually sure. "You should go sometime, if you're able."

If he's not allowed Lucifer probably shouldn't try and smuggle him (can their portal necklaces be traded to work on for someone else?) but... boy wouldn't that be interesting...

Then again if he accidentally got the guy killed and the Queen lost another pet (apprentice) to Nocwich-related happenings, she will execute him on the spot, no hesitance, no explanations heard.

He almost leaves it there.

He should leave it there.

"And then there was the... whole... rift thing," he trails off, distracted, and his next words are nothing about his kills, just, chatter, "Mat and I actually lost some of the odd hunting dogs that came from there. Glowing eyes. He seemed to think they were docile though, just... displaced. We weren't able to find them..."

This is the first time in his storytelling where he doesn't seem engaged. A bit distant, not really looking at Mace.

"And, well. I beheaded the myriapod. Some kind of giant... centipede-like being."

His hand gesture here is a strange wobble. They got all the mages back in one piece from that terrible mountain trip, but what should've been a simple, easy fight, was immediately ruined when Lucifer succumbed to his arcana matching with the beast's.

"Chitinous. Incredibly fast. A good dozen of these eerie humanoid arms hanging from it on top of the multiple insectoid legs and crushing pincers." He blinks, clearly shaken, and looks back to Mace with a weary lopsided smile. "Yennefer and Istredd were with me, thankfully. A few other mages, too."

Mace does appear to be interested in not just his stories of his accomplishments, but the Feywilds as well. Nocwich as well, the tales of far-off exploits being enough to charm him a bit. The travel suggestion is met with a wistful smile.

"Would that we could," he laments. "And it's a shame, too. The picture you paint is enticing, these 'Gealaci Kucing' and the others."

A new target for his dogs to learn to take down would make a lovely weekend.

Lost in the memories as Lucifer seems, Mace's eyes grow wide when he mentions the myriapod. To face a creature like that would be unsettling at least and Lucifer's recount, however distant-sounding, is one that Mace takes at face value.

"So it was you who slew that beast?" He takes a step forward. "I heard a few of the other mages speak of it. It sounded to be a nightmare given form. That is quite the feat indeed."

"Pity."

Lucifer personally doesn't see the appeal of hunting something so simple as foxes and their ilk. He'd never put himself on the same gross level as the human Hunters from his world--several of them here--but there's a certain pleasure that can't be replicated, and Thorne ain't gonna cut it.

It makes sense though. None of the other factions want any of the three meddling. Always gotta send their Summoned to do their dirty work, which in Thorne's case... is eventually going to backfire on them.

"Politics really do make everything exhausting."

Says the guy only making 'friends' because he sees an advantageous avenue. But it makes him wonder if some of the natives are more Caged than the Summoned feel.

"Nightmare is one way to put it. It shared my arcana. Sure didn't expect that unpleasant surprise and whatever the hell was up with that. I... got out of it with help from the other two long enough to take the killing blow."

What a sorry state the three of them must've looked. Lucifer between two mages and not in a fun way. From an outside view it may've appeared like Lucifer shook himself out of it with minimal help.

Not seeing Istredd literally drowning and going on the attack to Lucifer's mind.

Not seeing Yennefer leech his power away from him.

Lucifer could've killed all of them and thankfully Istredd kept enough illusions up that Lucifer didn't actually manage to tear into any of their help the few moments he tried.

"'Survival' is enough of a victory on its own, sure, but that should have been a completely different fight than how it went down."

"They do have a habit of making things complicated," Mace admits. "Though 'exhausting' is on of the least charitable ways I would describe it. 'Fascinating' on its better days."

It is a contrast from his predecessor who had little to do with politics in his duties to the Queen. But Mace seems to find the Kingdom of Thorne as something more than just her magic.

Mace raises his brows in a mix of surprise and curiosity. "Ah...so you formed some sort of connection with the Anomaly?" Why else would he mention that they shared the same Arcana?

"Regardless, your reputation remains intact. Relief that it had been successfully removed is all I had heard."

"Fascinating, sure, I'll give it that."

It's all just one complicated puzzle that Lucifer is still searching for all the pieces relating to those outside of the three factions doing the Summoning ritual. He likes puzzles and if he was at full power he'd definitely have already been cheating and changing the game up, but, well, consequences in his current state offer quite a problem.

"Yeeeeah. At least it broke when it died. ... Hopefully." He blows out an actual huff of relief at the state of his reputation. "Well, that's a plus." He's put work into that. To have it all unwind because of something out of his control would've... ehhh... it wouldn't have been a mess Istredd could likely prevent. He adds, just to keep Mace from accurately perceiving his reasoning, "I'd hate for anyone to see me on the same level as that thing." He nearly spits out monster but just barely holds his tongue.

"Hopefully." Mace assumes that Lucifer is speaking jest and smiles a little, though there is a light twinge of uncertainty. They really don't know how the Anomalies came to be or any long-lasting effects but if any could weather it, it would likely be a Summoned.

The clarification on his status does return Mace's smile in full honest force. He nods in agreement.

"I know the High Mage has a few choice words, but...he's rather stuck in his ways, isn't he?" Mace laughs, though the mirth doesn't quite reaches his eyes. He pats the nearest dog at his side. "What matters is that you returned victorious. We've never faced such dangers before, these creatures from another realm or wherever it is they deigned to crawl our way. I would say that I hope we don't need to ask a repeat performance of you..."

But there is really no guarantee.

Oh no.

No, no, no.

He is not going to end up liking this guy. He's a side project! A sidepiece to the Queen! Though, if anyone was going to be able to throw even mild levels of shade towards Ambrose, it would be whichever pawn's closest to the Queen herself.

"He does seem like it," Lucifer agrees, a little too touchy. It is no secret that Lucifer tolerates Ambrose, at most, in public. "You'd think by now he'd branch out some. At least get a little creative!"

There's never any guarantee, he's unfortunately learning, about a lot of things. Rapidly. His sense of 'control' before Abraxas was all just smokescreens and lies, but he had power. He supposes though even if he was at full strength like his brothers, it wouldn't stop him from losing people, and he'd just as fast lose himself.

"I don't usually like the addage about old dogs and new tricks," he says, clearly amused. One of the dogs whines on cue and Mace flashes it an empathetic smile. "But people can be far less adaptable."

A beat of silence hangs between them and Mace forces a friendly laugh.

"Of course, we owe him nothing but our thanks! After all, it's his research and interest in the Summoning ritual that brought you here in the first place."

He snorts mildly as the dogs react, not necessarily because of the words and maybe just circumstantial timing, but it's amusing nonetheless. He digs into the bag he wears at his side, a particular pocket that's lesser used for himself and generally others, where there's an odd collection of dried meats and a handful of berries (though he sometimes manages to snag one of Kyle's mysterious fruit if he's out of the territory).

He hides the pulled-out meats just slightly in his hand though knows the dogs must smell it, and let's Mace see it like this is some obscure magic trick. You don't just offer food to someone's dogs without their permission. What if they have a strict ~~human meat~~ diet! Or it's against their training!

(That Lucifer connects with animals more than people likely says too much about him as a creature.)

"Oh, of course," he agrees, a bit boisterous, and bit forced much the same. His expression shifts though, because while yes, it's Ambrose that brought him here... that research had to have been from the Ninth High Mage. And for whatever went wrong there, that mage was exiled for it.

Lucifer hums, trying to figure out how to navigate a potentially taboo subject. "He must have spent a lot of time on that research to try and better improve that spell. Mages and their tunnel-vision, bet he barely ate or slept," he says this with the slightest revealed fondness, but it is absolutely not for Ambrose. "No offense."

Well-trained noses perk instantly at the scent of meat. Mace watches a few curious hounds level their gaze at Lucifer's hand but make no moves to take it. They wait patiently for the good will of their master.

To the observation on Ambrose, Mace shakes his head and hold a conciliatory hand up, palm facing outwards. No offense seems to be taken.

"I heard that the Summoning Ritual was a pet project of his for years. One would hope it would eventually bear fruit. We can learn a lot from our seniors," he says. "But I find my magic works best after a proper night's rest. We are...quite lucky to have his dedication working for Thorne."

He nods to the treats in Lucifer's hand.

"Have a command for them?"

Pet project, of course. Lucifer will never find any sympathy for Ambrose, but he wonders. If Ambrose had been working on it for years and the hope had been for it to bear fruit... just how much was the Crown pressuring for results? Enough to make mistakes?

It's no wonder that the 'supposed' mistakes had ended up in the dungeons.

How many of them since were still considered mistakes, but no one would acknowledge such because they needed to keep all their little Summoned pawns from immediately turning tail and betraying them?

Unfortunately, no matter how well-behaved the current iteration of them are, Lucifer doesn't think a single one is actually loyal to the Crown. All thick smoke and cloudy mirrors.

He does offer each"I would be interested to see them in action," he says, if only for the build of his character, and that a part of him is curious if they have anything on hellhounds, though he surely doubts it. God created hellhounds to be man's best friend, decided he screwed up, tried to erase them, and Lucifer managed to save Ramsey, and then his Father had the gall to create the mutts of today's age after that.

These dogs are no Ramsey, surely, but maybe there's value.

If Mace does send them off, Lucifer will give them a taste of the morsels before, with a hand in his bag for a promise of after even if maybe they'll have had a tasty snack by then, but then Lucifer also honestly has no idea how Thorne's Hunting Grounds function. Maybe they don't get to consume their prize. Which. Rude.

The prospect of showing off his dogs is a welcome one for Mace, his own very literal pet project. Dogs can be loyal and useful but there is genuine affection in how Mace regards them even as he does call them to attention. They recognize the word "duck", wait for the signal to go, and once given are off like a shot.

"They can track our most common game by memory. I take it you wouldn't be opposed to a duck luncheon?" he says with a chuckle. It is an open invitation though he does not necessarily expect a Summoned to take him up on it. They surely have important things to attend to.

On the one hand: no he absolutely doesn't want to go. He must have something else to do. Anything. He is not a social creature and he's already stuck his foot in and wiggled it around into this guy's life, he doesn't need to go another step, people are simple like that.

On the other hand: meat, fresh, hunted.

Lucifer's only found he's had to eat and sleep since his arrival to Abraxas--which was not the Singularity's fault and more what was stolen from him right before he came here. He's since been able to develop his own taste for things.

He likes meat.

"I have some time to spare before I have a class," he allows.

Mace places a hand to his chest and bows just so at Lucifer's acceptance. It is a surprise, but a pleasant one. He trusts that his dogs will make short work of the fowl let loose in the hunting area so they won't need to wait long for the kill.

"Come then. We'll have the chefs prepare us something fitting a man of your renowned," he says, knowing that the castle staff won't be able to say 'no'. The knowledge only widens his smile.

"I promise not to keep you from your studies for too long."

He smirks at Mace's comment. A devious streak is good for anyone. Likely even more so if they have to navigate Thorne's inner workings more than the average person. Or maybe he just lets it all unfold around him; it isn't like he has much to worry about when he's the Queen's pet--

(Ah.

He may have to start stepping away from that line of thought now.)

--the Queen's apprentice.

"Thank you." For the compliment, or for not keeping him long, it's any guess. Maybe both. Either way, he follows after Mace.

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thank you for putting up with my slowness! we can wrap here if that works for you